People with mental health diagnoses sometimes start to feel as though the professionals in their lives are taking over. It can feel like they aren’t in control of their own decisions anymore, which can be very frustrating. A Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) is a document people with mental health disorders can create for themselves, and share with their teams, to share their goals and desires for their own treatment. At Carolina Dunes Behavioral Health, in Leland, North Carolina, we want our patients to be empowered, and we want to ensure we are hearing what they want for themselves.
Who Can Have a WRAP?
A WRAP is a plan that an individual or a whole family can develop to help one member or all of the members cope. It was originally designed to help people who are facing mental illness, but it has also been used by people with:
- Substance use disorders
- Challenging life events
- Trauma
- Learning challenges
- Legal system involvement
- Struggles related to their military service
There are people who have been certified to help people create their WRAPs. The facilitators have gone through training from the center that was built by WRAP’s creator. Some people also choose to complete a simplified WRAP without utilizing a facilitator, by just filling in a template.
How WRAPs Are Written
Often, a team of people is assembled for a WRAP meeting, so that they know how they can best provide help and support and so they can agree to the things that are being asked of them. Ideally, these should be people who have a positive relationship with the person/people the plan is being created to help. The team members could include:
- Family and friends
- Teachers
- Mentors
- Allies
- Spiritual leaders
- Social workers
- Peer supports
- Probation officers
- Anyone else the family or individual chooses
Common WRAP Components
A WRAP is a strength-based document that offers hope, responsibility, education, advocacy, and support. It covers all of the various stages a person might experience, from their ideal functioning to having slight struggles or a full-on crisis. It will detail the different steps that the person and their team can take, to maximize the person’s well-being, depending on the person’s functioning at a given moment.
For a person with a mental health diagnosis, this will likely include things related to:
- Getting adequate sleep
- Eating healthy
- Getting enough exercise
- Taking medications as recommended
- Socializing
- Keeping appointments
The plan might also indicate what actions a person or family does not want their team to take. For example, if the person does not like getting treatment at a certain hospital or has previously taken a medication that caused unwanted side effects, it might be added to the plan that these things should be avoided in the future.
When Hospitalization Is Needed
Going into the hospital is a time when a lot of people are especially likely to feel like they aren’t being heard. Having a WRAP in place before a person needs in-patient care can help to preserve their voice and agency as much as possible. By creating the plan before there is a crisis, a person can designate who they want on their team immediately before, during, and after they are in the hospital. It can also allow them to make plans for pets or plants, who they want to visit, and what they will need when they get home. This may offer needed reassurance, to make it easier for a person to accept in-patient care.
A Living Document
A WRAP is a document that can be changed and modified, as there are developments in a person’s condition. It is very common for people with mental health disorders to improve and develop better coping skills, as they become more familiar with their own condition and what works for them. They may also realize that what once worked for them, is no longer effective, so the plan may require updates from time to time.
Who Receives a Copy of the WRAP
The WRAP belongs to the person/family that it is created for. They are not required to share it with anyone, however, it is most effective for them to share it with their team so that everyone involved will know what they agreed to do and they can follow the plan.
At Carolina Dunes, we believe in preserving the dignity of our patients. We value their contributions to their treatment and encourage them to utilize their natural support systems, like family and friends, whenever possible.
