The “Reality of Recovery” documentary, narrated by Nick Clooney, highlights some of the pivotal moments through the history of our mental health system  as we transform  from a “Medical Model” of treatment, that focuses on stabilization and maintenance, to a Recovery-Oriented System of Care that is person centered and self-directed by those affected  by mental disorders.

This paradigm shift is helping to empower and integrate people living with mental illness into our communities through programs that offer education, housing, employment and hope.  Interviews with people in recovery, as well as providers of mental health services, reveal how empowerment and hope plays an integral role in the lives of people who are moving us toward the “Reality of Recovery” as the “Expectation.”

You will see and hear how using promising-practices, evidenced-based treatments and the process of empowerment, has helped to transform the lives of people who were once hopeless, to people who are hope-filled and empowered to “live, work, learn and participate fully in their communities.”

This documentary was written and produced by Rita Brooks, whose lifelong journey of living with a mental illness serves as evidence that recovery can be a reality for all.