Psychosocial Rehabilitation

Vancouver Island Mental Health Society programs, specifically at Gateway House, are grounded in best psychosocial rehabilitation practices

What is psychosocial rehabilitation?

Psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) promotes personal recovery, successful community integration, and satisfactory quality of life for persons who have a mental illness or mental health concerns.
PSR services and supports are collaborative, person directed, and individualized.
PSR is based on evidence-based best practices in the key life domains of: employment, education, leisure, wellness, and basic living skills, as well as, family involvement, peer support, and peer-delivered services.

Psychosocial rehabilitation in practice

VIMHS residential programs are grounded in best practices and aligned with the standards set out by PSR Canada — most notably at Gateway House, a 10 bed community care licensed facility.
We offer life skills and wellness programs that focus on budgeting and money management, food management, cooking skills, recreation, self care, and stress reduction techniques.
VIMHS also supports residents with activities that require time off-site, like participating in community programs, recreation opportunities, and group supports.

Distinctive and defining features of PSR approaches

— PSR is strength based— it builds upon the strengths of persons rather than their deficits and problems
— PSR is collaborative, person directed, and individualized. PSR approaches assist individuals in rediscovering skills and accessing the community resources needed to live successfully and with a self-identified quality of life
— PSR supports people to have a meaningful life focus on the determinants of good mental health, including employment, education, social supports, basic living skills, leisure and wellness
— PSR approaches support people in their chosen goal settings such as work and housing and then train and support them in their natural environment
— PSR approaches are supported by scientific evidence as effective. PSR approaches promote recovery with full community living and improved quality of life. Some call this “getting a life”

Excerpted from PSR BC Advanced Practice

Judi Chamberlin (1944-2010) was a leader in the consumer/survivor movement.
She said this about recovery…

“…it’s very important to recognize that recovery is not something that happens to a few exceptional, privileged or lucky people….recovery is possible for everyone who’s been diagnosed with a major mental illness”