The Recovery College model perceived as a transformative tool for recovery-oriented interventions

Julie BELLEMARE1,2, Anick SAUVAGEAU1,2, Galaad LEFAY1,2, Francesca LUCONI2,4, Catherine VALLÉE3, Catherine BRIAND1,2

1Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Canada
2Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
3Université Laval, Québec, Canada
4McGill University, Montréal, Canada

Introduction:

When implementing recovery-oriented interventions, healthcare professionals need support to adopt and adhere to best practices (Piat et al. 2022). Recovery-oriented interventions involve different dimensions of professional practice: values, attitudes, skills, specific interventions, etc. (Shepherd et al., 2008). The Recovery College (RC) training model can be used as a tool to support reflection and changes in professional practice (Perkins et Repper, 2017). Although the effects of the RC model are widely documented (Briand et al. in preparation), few studies focus on the effects of training on healthcare professionals’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, and practice.

 

Objective: The aim of this exploratory study is to document 1) the experience of healthcare professionals who have participated in online RC training courses, 2) the perceived effects on their professional practice and 3) their understanding of the model's principles and mechanisms of action.

 

Method: Participants were 13 healthcare professionals working in community-based organizations or healthcare institutions in Quebec. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s stepwise content analysis method.

 

Results: The results support the use of the RC model to develop and nurture recovery-oriented interventions. Participation in RC supports reflection on professional’s relational stance and attitudes, as well as several reported changes in professional practice. Healthcare professionals increased their understanding of people’s needs, reduced their implicit biases, acquired new tools, and recognized the value of experiential knowledge and self-determination. Taking part in RC also enabled personal growth, leading to actions that promote health and well-being.

 

Conclusions: RC courses are described by healthcare professionals as being different from the training courses usually taken. Participants explain the perceived benefits in terms of the principles and mechanisms of action of the RC model, i.e. the heterogeneous composition of learning groups, the egalitarian stance, and the complementarity of theoretical, clinical and experiential knowledge.