Supporting the implementation of psychiatric rehabilitation principles and strategies, to an eager population of Pakistani professionals and participants, was such a professionally rewarding opportunity.
McLean, VA (PRWEB) April 16, 2014
Dr. Veronica Carey, PhD, CPRP, Chair of the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association’s (PRA) Academy of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Recovery (the Academy), and her colleague, Dr. Barbara Granger, PhD, CPRP, Granger Consultation Services, traveled to Pakistan for a two week consultation with The Recovery House, a non-profit organization established three years ago in the urban metropolis of Karachi, Pakistan. Carey’s response to The Recovery House was engendered through participation on the International Committee of PRA with member Shaheen Ahmed, President of the Board of Trustees for The Recovery House. Dialogue ensued evidencing that support was required for the inclusion of psychiatric rehabilitation in the Karachi array of behavioral health services. There was a clear need to bring this valuable service to their growing mental health system in Pakistan. The participation of Drs. Carey and Granger demonstrates the international reach and influence of PRA.
“Supporting the implementation of psychiatric rehabilitation principles and strategies, to an eager population of Pakistani professionals and participants, was such a professionally rewarding opportunity," said Carey. "All parties concerned knew we were making history at The Recovery House! Dr. Granger and I are just as thrilled to be a continued resource as the program progresses.”
Drs. Carey and Granger provided education, training, and technical assistance for the Board of Governors, trustees, program staff, and participants in order to provide a foundation for The Recovery House to become an exemplary psychiatric rehabilitation model service and to promote interest in workforce development of Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioners in Karachi. The trainings resulted in a noted improvement in staff performance and morale as evidenced by feedback from individuals participating in The Recovery House program. As participants now have the added advantage of participating in activities that support their goals, they became more enthusiastic about their rehabilitation. In light of the organizational paradigm shift, higher priority is given to working in concert with clinical interventions and engendering rehabilitative strategies for recovery by focusing on activity and person-centered strategies. The initial reaction has been positive and further results will be revealed through ongoing consultation and evaluation.
Carey serves as the chair of PRA’s Academy of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Recovery, working in concert with PRA staff and volunteer leaders on an aggressive plan that delivers a portfolio of skills training, continuing education and leadership enhancement opportunities to practitioners, peer professionals, managers, and executives involved in psychiatric rehabilitation. Carey’s global perspective, as demonstrated by her work with The Recovery House in Pakistan, lends an international component to PRA’s initiatives to expand the implementation of psychiatric rehabilitation and, as a result, grow and train the recovery workforce.
During their trip, Carey and Granger presented a public seminar that was covered by 11 Karachi newspapers and were interviewed on a Karachi TV program, Business Plus: 24Seven, which was aired 3 times during their two week stay and has been airing in Pakistan on a continuous loop. Watch two videos about the public seminar. Learn more about her trip on PRA’s website.
About the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (PRA): As the nonprofit organization focused on growing and training the recovery workforce, the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, is the preeminent association for the development, support, and dissemination of information about the practice of psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery. PRA believes that the practice of psychiatric rehabilitation leads to recovery, and thus is committed to the growth of psychiatric rehabilitation in both quantity and quality, and to the universal availability of state-of-the-art psychiatric rehabilitation services for all individuals with mental illness who seek such services. For more information, visit http://www.psychrehabassociation.org.