Recovery Approach in Mental Health Field and Psychiatric Social Work

In this article, the historical and intellectual backgrounds of the recovery approach are presented and the core elements of the approach are discussed in relation to social work. Besides presenting a practice model, which is developed on the basis of the recovery approach, the importance of the approach for psychiatric social work, social work education, and research is put forward. Social workers specialized in the area of psychiatric social work can take part in every phase of the psychiatric treatment process, administer and guide mental health systems and policies. Social work discipline has also criticized deficit-oriented modern psychiatry and prepared the ground for the birth of critical psychiatry together with other sources of criticisms such as the disability movement, women’s movement, or service user movement. These criticisms led to the emergence of the recovery approach in mental health. The recovery approach, which has transformed mental health systems and policies in recent years, is in harmony with the core principles and values of social work profession. Therefore, the recovery approach can both guide psychiatric social work practice and pioneer in transforming mental health systems in harmony with social work perspective