Recovery Paradigm Analysis

1) My passion for serving the population affected by mental health issues solidified immediately after I experienced a personal triumph over depression, anxiety, and the stigma of having and addressing mental health concerns. Because I experienced firsthand restoration throughout the course of many therapy sessions, numerous psycho-educational classes, and intense study and practice of cognitive behavioral therapy, I set out to empower others the same way so many social workers had empowered me. Through obtaining a bachelor’s degree in sociology, I gained a more in-depth understanding of specific structural and institutional inequalities within society, developing a worldview that can respond analytically to the complex interactions of various

Because the Recovery Paradigm operates with the emphasis on an individual’s right to self determination and approaches presenting circumstances from a Strengths-Based perspective, it promotes an individual’s self-efficacy and sense of control by encouraging the individual’s willing participation and involvement in decision making at every junction of the recovery process within ethical and professional standards. Therefore, my role as a social worker is primarily that of an advisor, advocate, and linkage to accessing various resources within the system, community, or individual. Contrary to medical models in which the professional is the expert and the client is required to follow my instructions, the Recovery Paradigm underscores the significance of the individual’s experiences and understanding in order to direct and inform treatment; the consumers are the experts of their lives and the social workers are advisors listening and observing to gain understanding. Presuming ignorance on my consumer’s story, I can be receptive to the specific and nuanced dynamics the consumer may have with family background, interpersonal relationships, community involvement, etcetera. Being sensitive to cultural contexts, my role then is to identify the consumer’s strengths and tailor responses to accommodate a consumer’s unique interactions and

Given my desire to impact individuals who have mental health illnesses through counseling and educational prevention, I believe experience in the area of public mental health and community mental health will equip me to bring about social change at both the individual and societal level. Many licensed clinical therapists with extensive work in the areas of cognitive behavioral therapy, domestic abuse relationships, and mental illnesses serve as my own career