Copying Resources
What can I copy from Mary Ellen Copeland’s books for distribution to people in my group, agency or organization?
All of these books are copyrighted. It is against the law for you to copy all or large parts of any of these books and resources, including the Mental Health Recovery and WRAP Curriculum Facilitator Manual, and any of the WRAP books.
However, you can copy any of the forms and anything that is clearly marked as a hand-out in any of the books for use by people in treatment centers and groups. You can copy the thumbnail sketches of the slides in the Facilitator Manual for use as handouts as well. You cannot include these forms and handouts in other manuals without the permission of the author. For permission to use these forms, e-mail info@mentalhealthrecovery.com with specific information on how you would like to use the forms and handouts.
Do not put any of the copyrighted books or resources on your website without getting permission from the author. E-mail info@mentalhealthrecovery.com describing exactly what you want to do.
If you are going to distribute copied forms or handouts to more than 100 people, or distribute them out of your region, please e-mail info@mentalhealthrecovery.com for permission.
If you are going to include a quote or short section of writing from one of the books, please cite it including the authors name, the name of the text or resource, when it was written or developed, and how the author can be contacted (usually through the website at www.mentalhealthrecovery.com.
If you are not sure about what can be copied and what can’t, e-mail info@mentalhealthrecovery.com with specific information about what you would like to do.
All articles and information on the mental health recovery website can be copied for distribution as handouts and printing in newsletters if you cite the source.
Can I copy the forms in Peach Press publications and other books by Mary Ellen Copeland to distribute to people in my groups and to individuals at the treatment center?
You can copy forms for distribution to people in groups and to individuals. However, you cannot include the forms in any other workbook or on a website without permission. To get that permission, e-mail info@mentalhealthrecovery.com.
A note from Mary Ellen Copeland Ph.D on plagiarizing and copyright issues.
Mental Health Recovery Newsletter – Volume 10.1 – 2009
Lately we (Ed and I) have been overwhelmed with the number of reports of uses of our materials
in ways that are a violation of copyright, illegal and unethical. For the most part we believe
these violations are not mean-spirited. Lots of people are trying to get good things done and are
trying to do it in the best (and cheapest) way they can figure out.
Over the past twenty years I have spent lots of time and energy studying and developing mental
health recovery resources based on what I have learned and with input from thousands of people
around the world. It has been a lot of work. Research is now proving how effective these
resources are for people who are working to recover from all kinds of mental health difficulties,
including addictions and PTSD, as well as for many other kinds of physical problems and life
issues.
As the researcher and author, I do not want these materials violated and used in ways that are
judgmental, demeaning and diminishing or that violate the values and ethics that have evolved
around my work (http://mentalhealthrecovery.com/wrap_values_ethics.php). As you know,
one of the values of WRAP® is that everyone has the right to work toward achieving their own
goals and dreams. Often people, who change my resources, justify their actions by saying this is
“too much for my people. They need something simpler.” I find this attitude to be quite
offensive. I believe people need to be offered all of WRAP®, not just the bits and pieces
someone else has decided would be right for them. Then individuals can decide for themselves
what they will use and what they will not use.
In addition, working with many people who experience mental health difficulties, my family and
I have put a lot of time and money into developing a vast array of books, videos and audio tapes
that describe mental health recovery and WRAP based on my research. These resources are
benefiting many, many people. In order to keep doing this, we have to sell what we produce.
We do it as cheaply as possible. We give generous discounts for large orders. We lower prices
in some cases and occasionally, when we can, give resources away. We continually update our
website with free materials (www.mentalhealthrecovery.com). We live modestly in the Vermont
countryside. We hire others to work with us who have lived experience. We are not funded by
any outside source. We do not have a government grant to do this. There are many others like
me who have worked hard and developed excellent resources, against great odds. They have
similar issues with plagiarized and copied materials. It is not fair.
I will try and clarify for you what you can and cannot do. PLEASE CONTACT US BEFORE YOU
BEGIN A PROJECT IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO USE MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERY AND
WRAP® MATERIALS AND RESOURCES IN ANY WAY THAT MIGHT POSSIBLY BE A
VIOLATION OF COPYRIGHT OR TRADEMARK, PLEASE CONTACT US FIRST, BEFORE YOU
BEGIN THE PROJECT, TELL US EXACTLY WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO (BY E-MAIL IS BEST),
SEND US COPIES OF ANY WRITTEN MATERIALS THAT MIGHT BE A VIOLATION OF
COPYRIGHT OR TRADEMARK AND THEN WE WILL WORK WITH YOU TO TELL YOU
EXACTLY WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT DO.
1. There are clear guidelines in the front of the Facilitator Manual that describe what parts of the
manual can be copied and given out to group, workshop and seminar participants. You can copy
and give out the handouts in Section 3 and the transparencies thumbnail sketches in Section 2.
You cannot copy and distribute Section 1 except for pages that are clearly forms to be filled out
by facilitators.
2. All copies of handouts, thumbnail sketches and forms need to be clearly attributed as follows:
By Mary Ellen Copeland, PO Box 301, W. Dummerston, VT 05357, phone (802) 254-2092, e-
mail: info@mentalhealthrecovery.com, website http://www.mentalhealthrecovery.com. All
rights reserved.
3. You cannot take portions of this facilitator manual, even the handouts and thumbnail
sketches, or any other resources copyrighted by Mary Ellen Copeland and include it in another
manual or materials you develop for distribution within your agency or outside of your agency
without written permission from the author.
4. You cannot copy any of the books or resources copyrighted by Mary Ellen Copeland without
written permission. You cannot copy more than three pages of any of these books for
distribution to groups without the author’s written permission. If pages are clearly forms to be
filled out, they can be copied and distributed if they include the attribution information in #2
above.
5. You cannot put copies of copyrighted resources on the web without the author’s written
permission.
6. You cannot purchase copies of these materials and then sell them on the web without the
permission of the author.
7. You need written permission from the author before translating any of the copyrighted
resources by Mary Ellen Copeland.
8. The names Wellness Recovery Action Plan® and WRAP® are trademarked and cannot be
used to describe any other plan or piece of work other than the plan described in the book
Wellness Recovery Action Plan (M. Copeland, Peach Press, Dummerston, VT 2002) and other
books I have authored and published.
9. The Wellness Recovery Action Plan® is, as described in the resources I developed, a set
format that includes a listing of Wellness Tools, a Daily Maintenance Plan, Triggers and a
Triggers Action Plan, Early Warning Signs and an Early Warning Signs Action Plan, When
Things are Breaking Down and an Action Plan, a specific Crisis Plan or Advance Directive and
a Post Crisis Plan. If you remove parts of this plan or change the order of the parts, it can no
longer be called WRAP®. However, it is not legal to change WRAP® so that it is still
recognizable as WRAP® and then call it something else.
10. There are many free resources on our website www.mentalhealthrecovery.com that you can
copy and distribute with the appropriate attribution in #2 above. Also the booklet series that I
developed for the SAMHSA is not copyrighted. Those materials are in the public domain and
can be used as you would like. You can order them at www.samsha.gov.
Again, if you have any question about use of the mental health recovery and WRAP materials written and
published by Mary Ellen Copeland, contact her directly. The best way is by e-mail at
info@mentalhealthrecovery.com. You can also call (802) 254-2092 or write Mary Ellen Copeland, PO
Box 301, W. Dummerston, VT 05357.