MAYO RECOVERY COLLEGE aims to expand the mental Health Services towards the building of a greater quality of life for services users by;

• Committing to give equal attention to personal or lived experience of people with mental health difficulties , their families/friends and professional expertise.
• Empowering the community to accommodate human distress and ensure full citizenship for all service users.

Personal Recovery builds on the core principles of HOPE, CONTROL and OPPORTUNITY.

“A person with a mental illness can recover even though the illness is not “cured”. Recovery is a way of living a satisfying, hopeful, and contributing life even with the limitation caused by illness.
Recovery involves the of new meaning and purpose in one’s life as one grows beyond the catastrophic effects of mental illness”
(Anthony)

Mayo recovery college uses collaborative eduction based on college principles as a key tool to influence and empower personal recovery. Originating in the United States this concept has been embraced in the United Kingdom where there are now seven Recovery college. The Mayo Recovery college is the first in Ireland.

The key aim of the MRC is to offer accessible recovery focused education, building capacity to deal with mental health challenges and to support personal talents, abilities and self-determination.

All courses, Seminars and events provided at the college are co-designed and co-delivered by adults with personal experience of mental health difficulties(often called lived experience) and professionals.

The courses are open to ALL –people with mental health challenges, families/friends, professionals and the community. The college is committed to equal citizenship and embraces diversity and difference.

The educational approach of the MRC aims to be the catalyst for transformation, driving recovery-focused organisational, attitudinal and cultural change.

Co-design and co-delivery  for the courses and activities  are absolute requirements for the operation of recovery colleges.

This crucial approach enshrines the valuable principle of collaboration and partnership.

The college gives equal weight and significance to the worth and value of professional expertise and lived experience.

The college curriculum is agreed by a working group including people with lived experience of mental health difficulties, professional and family members and draws on expertise of other interested parties from the voluntary and statutory sector.

Fundamentally the college reflects the needs of the community and is located at the heart of the Mayo HSE Mental Health Services.

The MRC explores different dimensions of what 'distress' is and what 'recovery' can mean.

The educational approach and what the college does.

Simply, the college provides courses, workshops, seminars and group work on topics and themes that deal with RECOVERY!!