Mary Ellen Copeland
Mary Ellen Copeland
Personal Mental Health Recovery Values and Ethics
- There is hope. People get well, stay well for long periods of time, and do the things they want to do with their lives.
- Self-determination, personal responsibility, empowerment, and self-advocacyare expected outcomes of WRAP.
- Insist that you be treated as an equal with dignity, compassion, mutual respect, and unconditional high regard, a unique, special individual, including acceptance of diversity with relation to culture, ethnicity, language, religion, race, gender, age, disability, sexual preference, and “readiness” issues, and treat others the same way.
- WRAP is based on the premise that there are “no limits” to recovery.
- Every part of WRAP is totally is voluntary. You, the person who is developing the WRAP, decide if you want to do it, when you want to do it, how long you will take, what it will include and who assists and supports you.
- It is understood that you as the person who is developing this WRAP, are the expert on yourself.
- Concentrate on your individual strengths and away from perceived deficits as determined by you or others.
- Keep the focus on things you do well, and avoid negative self-judgments or the findings of deficit-based assessments.
- Avoid the use of clinical, medical and diagnostic language.
- If possible, work together and learn with your peers to increase mutual understanding, knowledge and promote wellness.
- Emphasize strategies that are simple and safe.
- Difficult feelings and behaviors are normal responses to traumatic circumstances and what is happening in your life and need not be considered symptoms or a diagnosis.
Mental Health Recovery Values and Ethics for Group Facilitators
In order to do mental health recovery and WRAP work, it is essential that you understand
and support the following values and ethics. If you don't want to, or
cannot adhere to these values and ethics, pleae do not do this work, 
As a facilitator you must:
- honor the participants.
- accept them as they are and as unique, special individuals,
- remind them that there are "no-limits" to anyone's recovery.
- give them a sense hope.
- validate their experiences.
- treat them with dignity, compassion, respect and unconditional high
regard.
- give each person choices and options, not final answers.
- support the concept that each person is the expert on themselves.
In this work, participants learn through their own experience and the experience of others. This work is:
- based on self-determination - it opens the door for individuals, but
doesn't dictate their path.
- rooted in the belief in equality - no one is any better or has higher
value than anyone else.
- a mutual learning model, where both people work together to increase
understanding and promote wellness.
- not necessarily a replacement for other kinds of therapy, but can
complement any other therapy.
- adaptable to anyone's personal philosophy.
- simple and safe for anyone, regardless of the severity of their symptoms.
- based on common sense.
- infinitely do-able.
- always changing - the body of knowledge is always expanding and is
infinite.
- not based on any philosophy or model, but can incorporate any philosophy
or model.
- not only a program - it is a way of life.
There is no room for big egos or "power trips," bigotry, prejudice or hatred. Everyone belongs at the table, no matter what their issues or where they are on their path. There are no predetermined outcomes. Each individual works at their own pace toward their own goals.
There is no "political" agenda. (Political discussions need to be saved for the appropriate forum.)
Follow strict codes of sexual conduct at all times. As a facilitator, do not behave in a manner that might be construed as sexually suggestive, harassing or discriminatory. If anyone in your group or at your presentation does these kind of things, let them know that it is not acceptable. If you are having a hard time with this, discuss it with someone you trust can give you helpful guidance and support in addressing this issue.
Do everything you can to ensure a safe, comfortable and respectful atmosphere for participants.
Mental Health Recovery and WRAP Values and Ethics Checklist
Strong values and ethics are the cornerstone of Mary Ellen Copeland’s work and Copeland Center trainings. Facilitators must understand these ethics before leading Mental Health Recovery and WRAP groups and workshops to insure a supportive environment for learning. In addition, they need to review them from time to time, as they are facilitating the group, they review the concepts and make adjustments if there are any indications that the values and ethics are being violated. Facilitators give participants copies of this checklist to review from time to time and ask for suggested changes if the concepts are not being followed.
Each session supports the premise that there is hope, that people can get well, stay well for long periods of time, and do the things they want to do with their lives.
Indicators:Participant responses indicate that they have or are developing a sense of hope.
__ Y __ N
Participants are making plans for their future that include recovery.
__ Y __ N
Self determination, personal responsibility, empowerment, and self-advocacy are key aspects of this program.
Indicators:Participants share ways they have kept or have taken back control over their lives.
__ Y __ N
All topics reflect a focus on self-determination, empowerment, and self-advocacy.
__ Y __ N
The program supports workshop decision- making and personal sharing.
Indicators:
All decisions concerning the workshop are made by the workshop with participants deciding what issues are to be resolved.
__ Y __ N
__ Y __ N
Participants are treated as equals with dignity, compassion, mutual respect, and unconditional high regard.
Indicators:Participants seem comfortable and at ease in the sessions.
__ Y __ N
Facilitator’s self-reports and observations of each other indicate that all participants are treated as equals with dignity, compassion, mutual respect, and unconditional high regard.
__ Y __ N
There is unconditional acceptance of each person as they are - unique, special individuals, including acceptance of diversity with relation to culture, ethnicity, language, religion, race, gender, age, disability, sexual preference, and ‘readiness’ issues.
Indicators:
At each session facilitators ask the workshop if they feel they are being treated well, that their needs are being accommodated and that the program supports diversity.
__ Y __ N
There are no discriminatory comments.
__ Y __ N
Facilitators make needed adjustments and accommodations.
__ Y __ N
This program is based on the premise that there are "no limits" to recovery.
Indicators:
All participant goals and plans are supported without judgment.
__ Y __ N
Participants are given the opportunity to explore choices and options, and are not expected to find simple, final answers.
Indicators:
Facilitators agree that the atmosphere at the session supported choice and options.
__ Y __ N
All participation is voluntary.
Indicators:
Facilitators agree that all participation was, in fact, voluntary.
__ Y __ N
It is understood that each person is the expert on her or himself.
Indicators:
Facilitators agree that participants were supported in speaking from their own experiences and making their own decisions based on their self-knowledge.
__ Y __ N
The focus is on individual strengths and away from perceived deficits.
Indicators:
Facilitators and participants agree that the focus was on things that people do well, and that there were no negative judgments or deficit-based assessments.
__ Y __ N
Clinical, medical and diagnostic language is avoided.
Indicators:
Facilitators agree that they did not use clinical, medical, and diagnostic language.
__ Y __ N
The focus is on peers working together and learning from each other to increase mutual understanding, knowledge, and promote wellness.
Indicators:
Each session includes several interactive exercises that include the entire workshop or smaller workshops.
__ Y __ N
The program emphasizes strategies that are simple and safe for anyone, and it stays away from strategies that may have harmful effects.
Indicators:
Facilitators and participants agree on which strategies are simple and safe and moderate the discussion away from strategies that might have harmful side effects, directing participants to resources that will inform them on these topics.
__ Y __ N
Difficult feelings and behaviors are seen as normal responses to traumatic circumstances and in the context of what is happening and not as symptoms or a diagnosis.
Indicators:
Facilitators react to difficult feelings and behaviors with compassion and support.
__ Y __ N
There is unconditional acceptance of all creative work and expressions that are created or brought to each session. This includes movement, sound, painting & drawing, collage, and three- dimensional construction. The creator is always in control of the work.
Indicators:
Facilitators comment on creative working using their own perspective and encourage participants to do the same.
__ Y __ N
At each session, individuals or workshops of participants who created something decide what happens to it.
__ Y __ N
