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The Recovery College: Courses and Workshops to Support Personal Recovery from Mental Ill Health Or Co-occurring Drug and Alcohol Misuse.
Helping people to go beyond clinical recovery towards living a full and fulfilling life
Recovery from mental ill-health is an individual journey.
Reconnecting to community, re-establishing an identity beyond diagnosis, restoring a sense of hope and life-meaning, and reclaiming a sense of empowerment takes time and often help.
Our courses are designed to facilitate individual progress by blending the best of adult learning practice with modern personal recovery theory.
Our students acquire the personal, social, academic, and practical life skills they need to live a full and meaningful life while developing the emotional resources to see them through the ups and downs.
All referral channels to the Recovery College, including self-referral, are available for anyone who has been affected by mental ill health.
Equipping people with knowledge and skills to participate as fully invested members of society.
- We offer a broad spectrum of courses and workshops that support personal recovery and deliver immediately actionable life skills.
- We empower our students to take control over every aspect of their life.
- We co-design our courses with peer trainer students so that some ownership of the learning resides with the student body.
- We help our students shake off the persona of patient and discover their identity beyond illness.
- We partner with our students to create a supportive, egalitarian college community.
Getting over that initial hurdle and engaging with The Recovery College online or in person can change someone’s life.
What makes us different?
- Unlike almost every other recovery college in the UK, Bridge Recovery College is not designed by clinicians, staffed by nurses, or situated in a hospital.
- Our Recovery College is designed by people with lived experience and situated in the heart of the community it serves. It is staffed by adult education specialists who have extensive experience of working with people who have multiple barriers to learning.
- Our courses are consciously designed not to be an extension of the patient/clinician experience.
- Students do not need a specific diagnosis or referral path to attend the college. We only require as much knowledge of diagnosis as the student wishes to share and many students self-refer without sharing any medical information. The length of engagement is as long as the student needs to facilitate their recovery.
The quality of care delivered has been excellent, the economic argument is a powerful one comparing the cost of placement in secure hospitals with the scheme provided at the TILT project.
John Enser, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Our results
- Only 8% of our students have attended A&E since they started working with The Recovery College
- In the past 5 years, 2490 places have been taken up on six-week courses and 650 on short courses and workshops.
- 87% of students on long term sickness leave have returned to work with their original employer. The remaining 13% have returned to work with a new employer on leaving the college.
- 90% of students report they can manage their mental health better with the skills they have learned at the Recovery College
- 75% of students report making fewer demands on their GP or CCO regarding their mental health
- 100% of students feel a sense of connectedness due to reduced social isolation and its corrosive effects
- 96% of students report having more hope and optimism for their future
- 47% of students have gone on to volunteer work, employment, training, or Further Education.
Going to The Recovery College is a catalyst for positive change.
For more information please click here to view the Recovery College website
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How you can work with us
As well as the normal tendering process, you can commission our services in the following ways:
- Use our contact form
- Pick up the phone to speak to us on 020 8298 9677
- Email us to discuss spot contracting OR delivery of a bespoke service that meets your need
