We have had a saying around Rose Hill for years, “You recover your life by living it”. This saying refers to the therapeutic work teams which are an integral part of recovery for Rose Hill residents.
Outside of Rose Hill most people get up each day and go to work or school or participate in some other meaningful daily activity. The routine of sleeping at night and working during the day is a way of life for many of us. However, when someone suffers from a mental illness, this routine is often lost as they struggle with intrusive thoughts or medications that cause daytime drowsiness. This daily structure which may seem so easy to many can be elusive and feel out of reach to someone struggling with their mental health.
This is where the quote about “recovering your life by living it” came from. At Rose Hill, we strive to create a simulated work environment that is structured just like our residents will encounter when they leave our campus. The therapeutic workday is a key component of a treatment philosophy used by therapeutic communities. And, it is community that is the heart of the workday.
When we talk about therapeutic work teams providing structure and building pre-vocational skills, that is the tip of the iceberg. Residents are not here to grow flowers or care for the farm animals. The flowers and the animals are here to provide a vehicle for our residents to experience the benefits of a work-ordered day.
Working with others creates a sense of relationship and makes conversation easier. A common goal (like weeding a flower bed) provides a stress-free environment for people to get to know one another, development a sense of comradery, and lose themselves in a shared activity. Working with others provides the opportunity to feel respected and valued by others, thereby increasing individual feelings of self-worth, pride, ownership and investment in something larger than one’s self.
Rose Hill’s more clinical interventions like, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, motivational interviewing, and radically open dialectical behavior therapy are evidenced-based treatments shown to be successful for the individuals we treat. These clinical services, including individual and group therapy, are offered in addition to the work-ordered day. It is in this way that residents can talk about their daily experiences that they may find challenging with their case manager or therapist who can assist in building self-awareness and coping skills. By engaging in this multi-disciplinary manner residents truly are working their way to wellness!
