The Arc of Western Wayne County: Serving people with disabilities

The Take Charge Helpline

Psychosocial Rehabilitation

Psychosocial rehabilitation is a process that is evolving from medical diagnosis and treatment to facilitation of the person’s recovery process by a counselor or practitioner.  Psychosocial rehabilitation is recovery.  Recovery is an ongoing process that must start where the person is at and then moves on toward healthy behavior and activity.  Psychosocial rehabilitation empowers someone to take an active role in the decisions or choices regarding their future.

There are some limits to this where medication is necessary to control biochemical imbalance.  However, to the extent possible, each decision must be made by the person with a clear discussion and understanding of possible consequences of those choices or decisions.  This process grows with each dilemma and choice and does not take place in a single point of time, but is an ongoing recovery process.

Professionals cannot make the choices for the person, but can facilitate the exploration of all options.  Professionals can suggest, encourage or strongly encourage certain goals, but the final choices must be left up to the person.  The only exception to this is when the choice will be harmful to the person, or someone else.  Then the professional must intervene.

For more information, please contact The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Michigan at 800-331-4264, or visit them online at namimi.org.  You can also contact The Detroit Wayne County Community Mental Health Agency at 313-833-2500, or visit them online at www.dwccmha.com.

Phone code: 2211