Bring recovery to young people: the development of a “discovery college” in Ireland

Purpose Discovery Colleges are new, exciting innovations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of developing and implementing the first pilot of a Discovery College for young people in Ireland. This paper aims to assist in providing direction for future comparable projects. Design/methodology/approach The author takes a narrative approach to highlight the rationale for introducing the Discovery College model into an Irish context and to outline the project phases and participant feedback. Findings The pilot project is outlined and the key learnings are explained. Originality/value Recovery Education is a growing model both nationally and internationally, and this pilot was an innovative project, the first of its kind to bring Recovery Education to a younger audience in Ireland. This paper aims to assist in providing direction for future comparable projects.

Recovery Education for Adults Transitioning From Homelessness: A Longitudinal Outcome Evaluation

Objective: Grounded in principles of adult education, Recovery Education Centres (RECs) hold promise in promoting recovery for adults with mental health challenges, but research on recovery outcomes for hard-to-reach populations participating in RECs is scant. This quasi-experimental study compares 12-month recovery outcomes of adults with histories of homelessness and mental health challenges enrolled in a REC, to those of participants of other community services for this population.Methods: This pre-post quasi-experimental study compared participants enrolled in a REC for people with histories of homelessness and mental health challenges (n = 92) to an age-and-gender frequency matched control group participating in usual services (n = 92) for this population in Toronto, Ontario. Changes from program enrollment to 12 months in personal empowerment (primary outcome), disease specific quality of life, recovery, health status, health related quality of life, and mastery were assessed. Post-hoc analyses compared subgroups with 1–13 h (n = 37) and 14+ h (n = 37) of REC participation during the study period to the control group. Linear mixed models estimated mean changes and differences in mean changes and 95% confidence intervals.Results: Mean change in perceived empowerment from program enrollment to 12 months in the intervention group [0.10 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.15)] was not significantly different from the control group [0.05 (−0.01, 0.11)], mean difference, 0.05 [(−0.03, 0.13), P = 0.25]. In the post-hoc analysis, the mean change in perceived empowerment for the intervention subgroup with 14+ h of REC participation [0.18 (0.10, 0.26)] was significantly different than in the control group [0.05 (−0.01, 0.11)] mean difference, 0.13 [(0.03, 0.23), P < 0.01]. Mean change in mastery was also significantly different for the intervention subgroup with 14+ h of REC participation [2.03 (1.04, 3.02)] vs. controls [0.60 (−0.15, 1.35)], mean difference, 1.43 [(0.19, 2.66), P = 0.02]. There were no significant differences in other outcomes.Conclusion: With sufficient hours of participation, recovery education may be a helpful adjunct to health and social services for adults with mental health challenges transitioning from homelessness.

Recovery education for people experiencing housing instability: An evaluation protocol

Background:Recovery education centers (RECs) offer recovery supports through education rather than traditional health services. The Supporting Transitions and Recovery Learning Centre (STAR) in Toronto, Canada, is among the few that are internationally focused on individuals with histories of homelessness. Although research suggests that RECs positively impact participants, there is a paucity of rigorous studies and none address the engagement and impacts on homeless individuals.Aims:This protocol describes a realist-informed evaluation of STAR, specifically examining (1) if STAR participation is more effective in promoting 12-month recovery outcomes than participation in usual services for individuals experiencing housing instability and mental health challenges and (2) how STAR participation promotes recovery and other positive outcomes.Methods:This study uses a quasi-experimental mixed methods design. Personal empowerment (primary outcome) and recovery, housing stability, social functioning, health service use and quality of life (secondary outcomes) data were collected at baseline, and 6 and 12 months. Intervention group participants were recruited at the time of STAR registration while control group participants were recruited from community agencies serving this population after screening for age and histories of housing instability. Interviews and focus groups with service users and providers will identify the key intervention ingredients that support the process of recovery.Results:From January 2017 to July 2018, 92 individuals were recruited to each of the intervention and control groups. The groups were mostly similar at baseline; the intervention group’s total empowerment score was slightly higher than the control group’s ( M ( SD): 2.94 (0.23) vs 2.84 (0.28), p = .02), and so was the level of education. A subset of STAR participants ( n = 20) and nine service providers participated in the qualitative interviews and focus groups.Conclusion:This study will offer important new insights into the effectiveness of RECs, and expose how key REC ingredients support the process of recovery for people experiencing housing instability.

Implementation of Recovery Education on an Inpatient Psychiatric Unit

INTRODUCTION: There is a national agenda in the United States for the establishment and implementation of an evidence-based recovery model of care in patients with psychiatric illness. Recovery principles include self-direction, individualization/patient-centered, empowerment, holistic, nonlinear, strengths-based, peer support, respect, responsibility, and hope. Recovery education has shown to improve patients’ quality of life, decrease readmission rates, and increase nursing knowledge of the recovery process in acute psychiatric care settings. Providers, patients, and governmental agencies have supported this agenda to assist psychiatric patients to remain in the community, reduce readmission rates, and improve health outcomes. AIMS: This quality improvement project aims to reduce 30-day readmissions, assess recovery knowledge of nurses, and evaluate patients’ perceived quality of life. METHOD: The quality improvement project featured a pre-post survey design with a convenience sample of nurses and patients across acute two adult inpatient units. Nurses facilitated recovery groups. Comparisons were made pre/post implementation on nursing knowledge and readmission rates. Evaluation of patients’ perceived quality of life was made postimplementation. RESULTS: Readmission was 5% in the recovery group. Nurse recovery knowledge increased ( M = 2.97, SD = 0.35; M = 3.40, SD = 0.21). Significant correlations were noted with patients’ quality of life measures and patient demographic data ( p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Recovery education provided the opportunity for nurses to gain knowledge and for psychiatrically ill patients to obtain patient-centered care that guided the recovery process, improved their quality of life, and decreased readmission within 30 days of discharge.

Lack of recreational fishing compliance may compromise effectiveness of Rockfish Conservation Areas in British Columbia

Compliance with spatial fishing regulations (e.g., marine protected areas, fishing closures) is one of the most important, yet rarely measured, determinants of ecological recovery. We used aerial observations of recreational fishing events from creel surveys before, during, and after 77 Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) were established in British Columbia, Canada. There was no evidence of a change in fishing effort in 83% of the RCAs, and effort in five RCAs increased after establishment. Fishing effort in open areas adjacent to the RCAs declined with time and was higher than effort in the RCAs in all 3 years. Next, we used compliance data for 105 RCAs around Vancouver Island to model the drivers of compliance. Compliance was related to the level of fishing effort around the RCA, the size and perimeter-to-area ratio of RCAs, proximity to fishing lodges, and the level of enforcement. Noncompliance in RCAs may be hampering their effectiveness and impeding rockfish recovery. Education and enforcement efforts to reduce fishing effort inside protected areas are critical to the recovery of depleted fish stocks.