Letter from PRF Chair, Lisa Razzano

Greetings PRA Members! I hope that all of you are having a fantastic summer. Mine started with a lot of excitement generated from the enthusiasm and energy of our recent Recovery Workforce Summit: 2014 PRA Annual Conference in Baltimore. It was wonderful to see so many of you at the event, to share our thoughts on the continued growth and evolution of recovery and the services that support it, and have some fun! I am still thinking about the amazing evening we had with Wayne Kramer and his band listening not only to his music, but also to hear his perspectives on the ways in which the arts and creativity enhance our wellness. The Summit also provided us an opportunity as a community to toast the launch of the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Foundation (PRF), the home for our training program, the Academy of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Recovery, as well as other endeavors that support our workforce. Now more than ever, we must focus on the ways in which psychiatric rehabilitation is a means to recovery. As demonstrated by hundreds of research and services evaluation projects, the evidence to support psychiatric rehabilitation services is substantial. Yet as a field, and within the context of mental health treatment overall, we continue to encounter barriers and obstacles to fully implementing services within diverse settings and to the individuals who need them the most. Despite these frustrations, I am struck by the tenacity that our community brings to the work that we do and the partnerships we form with individuals, families, and communities.

As a resident of the Chicago area, this sense of community has been tested over the past year. Over the Fourth of July holiday, 82 individuals were shot and 14 killed within the city. So far, Chicago has lost over 200 individuals to gun-related violence this year. These events do not always make the national news, but reflect the day-to-day experiences of individuals. Like many other social determinants of health such as poverty or disability, violence is also a factor known to have negative and long-term effects on the physical and mental health of individuals who experience it. In her keynote address at the recent Recovery Workforce Summit, Northwestern University researcher Dr. Linda Teplin highlighted alarming trends regarding the health and wellness of children and youth detained in the juvenile justice system. Most notably, these young people affected by mental and physical health issues are at higher risk for homicide, the majority of whom are the victims of community gun violence. I mention this less to focus our lens on the debate regarding firearms and their legislation, but more on the areas where we, as providers, colleagues, and community members, can affect change. Promoting health and wellness – a core value of recovery and psychiatric rehabilitation – must include promoting safety within our communities for all individuals. While the tragedies of Aurora, Sandy Hook, and Santa Barbara must not go uncontested, we must also consider the effects of ongoing, day-to-day violence witnessed within our communities regularly. Like Wayne Kramer, Linda Teplin, and so many others working to minimize the impact of violence, each of us has the opportunity to affect change.

We must, as a workforce, be committed to wellness in both physical and emotional health for individuals, but also commit ourselves to the wellness our communities and all of our neighbors as well.