Unit 1: Recovery Principles

Peer Support has emerged as a major resource for people in recovery from mental health and substance use problems. With this development, the need arose to come up with a unified definition of recovery that could apply to both and help advance recovery opportunities. SAMHSA met with leaders in the field to come up with a unified working definition of recovery to simplify discussion: “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.”

Services provided to those in recovery must also follow insurance definitions of recovery (including Medicaid) and what constitutes a billable service. This can differ from how service recipients define recovery and limit choices.

The unit reading provides SAMHSA’s 10 guiding principles of recovery and four major dimensions that support a life in recovery. This gold standard is seen through the lens of insurance service delivery criteria.

Unit Objectives:

• Summarize SAMHSA recovery principles
• Examine how service delivery funding impacts the way recovery is interpreted