1. Wellness Recovery Action Plan: Overview
Presented by Katie Wilson, M.S.
Director of Marketing & Special Projects
The Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery
June 2, 2010

2. Key Concepts Hope Personal Responsibility Education Self-Advocacy
Support

3. There is Much to Hope For!
You can get well and stay well for long periods of time!
You can work toward and meet your goals
You don’t need nor will you benefit from dire predictions about the future

4. Personal Responsibility
You are the expert on yourself.
You know what you want and need.
It is up to you to take personal responsibility for your own wellness and your own life.

5. Education
Learn all you can about yourself so that you can make good decisions about:
Treatment
Lifestyle
Career
Relationships
Living Space
Leisure Activities
All Aspects of Your Life

6. Self Advocacy Go for it with courage, persistence, and determination;
Express yourself clearly and calmly until you get what you need for yourself

7. Support
Support from family, friends, and care providers is definitely helpful. Being effectively supported will help you feel better and enrich your life.
You will benefit from having at least 5 good friends or supporters you can call on when you want or need

8. WRAP Will help you stay as well as possible
Help you keep track of difficult feelings and behaviors and develop plans of action to help you feel better
Tell others what to do for you when you feel so badly you can’t make decisions, take care of yourself, and keep yourself safe

9. WRAP You and only you decide: If you want to write a WRAP
How much time it takes you
Who you want, if anyone, to help you with it
How you use it
Who you show it to
Where you keep it

10. WRAP
To develop your own Wellness Recovery Action Plan begin by developing a list of personal
WELLNESS TOOLS

11. Wellness Tools
Wellness tools are things you do to keep yourself well, and the things you do to help yourself feel better when you are not feeling well.

12. Wellness Tools
You may have discovered them yourself or learned about them from others.
Most of them are simple, safe, free and non-invasive.

13. Wellness Tools Exercise Light Relaxation Techniques Peer counseling
Journaling
Video Chatting with friends
Eating a healthy meal
Anything you enjoy

14. Daily Maintenance List
Write down how you feel when you feel well.

15. Daily Maintenance List
Some words that others have used:
Bright Happy
Outgoing Optimistic
Humorous Competent
Athletic Industries
Content Responsible
Reasonable Withdrawn

16. Daily Maintenance List
You may also want to include on this page any specific things you want to work in your WRAP like:
Building Your Self-Esteem
Going Back to Work
Getting a Different Jobs
Any goal you want to work on

17. Daily Maintenance List
Make a list of things you need to do for yourself every day to keep feeling well

18. Daily Maintenance List
Be specific:
Get up at 7am on weekdays so I can get to work on time
Go for a walk
Write in a journal
Spend half an hour enjoying a fun, affirming creative activity
Drink 5 glasses of water

19. Daily Maintenance List
Next make a reminder list for things you might choose or need to do any day.
Reading through this list daily and doing those things that need to be done reduces stress in your life and helps keep you on track

20. Daily Maintenance List
Ideas of things that might be included on this list are:
Calling your counselor
Being in touch with family
Doing the laundry
Paying bills
Taking a hot bubble bath

21. Triggers
External events or circumstances may make you feel like you are getting ill.
These are normal reactions to life events - but if you don’t respond to them, they may actually make you feel worse.

22. Triggers Examples: Problems at work Financial problems - a big bill
Feeling left out
Anniversary of a loss or trauma
People shouting
Having to talk to someone I don’t know

23. Triggers Action Plan
After your list of Triggers, develop a plan that you feel will keep you from feeling worse if a triggering event occurs.

24. Triggers Action Plan Sample Plan:
Get one thing done that I know I can do well
Talk to a supporter
Play my guitar for an hour
Do a breathing exercise
Make sure I do everything on my daily maintenance list

25. Early Warning Signs
Early Warning Signs are internal and may be unrelated to reactions to stressful situations.
They are subtle signs of change that indicate you may need to take some further action.

26. Early Warning Signs Examples: Forgetfulness Being impatient
Spending money impulsively
Feelings of hopelessness
Thinking something bad is going to happen

27. Early Warning Signs Action Plan
Sample Plan
Spend at least 1 hour involved in an activity I enjoy
Get plenty of rest
Tell a support how I am feeling
Distract my mind from anxious thoughts
Drink some water

28. When Things are Breaking Down or Getting Worse
You may begin to feel even worse - very uncomfortable - but you are still able to take some action on your own behalf.
This is a very important time. It is a necessary to take immediate assertive action to prevent a crisis.

29. When Things are Breaking Down
Examples:
Unable to sleep
Obsessed with negative thoughts
Avoiding Eating
Feeling oversensitive or very fragile
Risk taking behaviors like fast driving

30. When Things are Breaking Down Action Plan
The plan needs to be clear and directive, with many things you must do and fewer choices
Sample:
Arrange for at least 3 days off of work
Call my doctor or care provider and ask for their advice
Do 2 peer counseling sessions, 3 deep breathing exercises, 2 focusing exercises

31. Crisis Planning It includes: What you are like when you are well
Indicators that others need to “take over”
Who “takes over” and who doesn’t
Information on your healthcare providers and medications

32. Crisis Planning Home/Community/Respite Plan
Acceptable and Unacceptable Hospital Facilities
Things others can do to help
Things that others might do that would make you feel worse

33. Crisis Planning A list of chores and tasks for others
Indicators that the plan is no longer needed
Signatures of key people

34. Post Crisis Planning
The time you are healing from a crisis can be very important
Although you may feel ready to begin taking care of yourself again, you may still be dealing with difficult feelings or symptoms, as well as the aftermath of the crisis

35. Post Crisis Planning
Address Issues and Create a Timetable for resuming responsibilities
Proactively make decisions about the following issues that make sense to you

36. Post Crisis Planning
How would you like to feel when you have recovered from the crisis?
Who do you want to support you through this time?
Where will you go afterward?
Who would you like to stay with you?

37. Post Crisis Planning List: Things you can ask others to do for you
Things the can wait until you feel better
Things you need to everyday
Things and people you might need to avoid
People you need to thank or apologize to
Signs you can return to your daily maintenance list

38. WRAP
Perhaps you have started to work on your own plan or are helping someone else develop their plan.
If so, give yourself some credit for the work you are doing. You nay even want to give yourself a reward from time to time.

39. The Copeland Center Offering WRAP Facilitator Training
August Chicago, IL in connection with NAOPS conference
September Brattleboro, VT

40. mentalhealthrecovery.com Books & Resources
Books by Mary Ellen Copeland are available on:
mentalhealthrecovery.com

41. Book Special! The WRAP Story On sale now! $14.95 (reg. $19.95)
mentalhealthrecovery.com

42. Wellness Retreat
Experienced Advanced Level WRAP Facilitators will be leading a wellness retreat in southern New Hampshire in October 2010.

43. For more information, visit:
Mentalhealthrecovery.com
Mentalhealthrecovery.com/webinars.php