Bringing Recovery to College Mental Health-View Presentation

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Video Summary

In addressing a small audience, the speaker acknowledges the diversity in background and experience among participants, emphasizing the distinction between recovery and the medical model, especially within college settings. The speaker, Mark Reagans, a psychiatrist with extensive experience in community mental health and recovery, shares insights from his career at The Village and his subsequent role at Cal State Long Beach. He critiques the medical model's focus on treating illnesses rather than supporting personal growth and development—core aspects of the recovery model.<br /><br />Reagans advocates for a strengths-based approach, highlighting how recovery does not solely focus on symptom relief but also on building protective factors and encouraging personal development. He stresses the importance of considering cultural and individual narratives rather than pigeonholing individuals into medical diagnoses. This perspective is more aligned with college students' needs, who often navigate identity, growth, and personal challenges rather than chronic mental health issues.<br /><br />Reagans presents examples from children's stories like Winnie the Pooh and Toy Story, illustrating how characters accept their traits as part of a collective, underscoring the value of individual differences within a community. He further challenges the medicalization of distress, proposing that conditions like depression are developmental challenges rather than purely medical issues.<br /><br />Throughout the session, Reagans encourages a dialogue that respects the audience's diverse experiences and emphasizes the potential benefits of adopting recovery principles in college mental health settings. By doing so, students could better navigate their personal and educational journeys, fostering resilience and encouraging meaningful change in their lives.

Keywords

recovery model

medical model

Mark Reagans

community mental health

strengths-based approach

cultural narratives

personal development

college mental health

identity growth

medicalization of distress

resilience

personal challenges