Wellness Self-Management is a curriculum-based clinical practice designed to assist adults to effectively manage serious mental health problems. The topics covered include a number of research-informed approaches that are organized into a comprehensive and coordinated set of practices.
The WSM program is based on Illness Management and Recovery (IMR), a nationally recognized evidence-based practice for adults with serious mental health problems. In addition to IMR-related topics such as recovery, mental health wellness, and relapse prevention, the WSM approach includes lessons emphasizing the connection between physical and mental health. It may be helpful to think of WSM as a comprehensive curriculum that covers many topics providing information, knowledge, and skills that help people to make decisions that support recovery. The curriculum is organized into a 57-lesson personal workbook that includes topics such as:
- Understanding what helps and what hinders recovery
- Understanding how having goals helps recovery
- Understanding how your cultural and family background affects decisions about mental health services
- Practical facts about mental health symptoms, treatment, and causes
- How social support and using community resources help recovery
- How family and friends can support your work in WSM
- Developing and using a relapse prevention plan
- Knowing and using your strengths to support recovery
- Finding and using coping strategies that work
- Understanding the connection between physical and mental health
The WSM workbook is available through the Center for Practice Innovations Store. Please follow registration instructions provided. Once you have registered, you will be taken to the “Purchase CPI Products” section, where you will be able to download an electronic copy of the WSM workbook at no cost and purchase bound, paper copies.