by WRAP Facilitators
These are responses to a question by Mary Ellen Copeland on becoming / being a WRAP Facilitator.
Crystal Choate
My WRAP has become instantaneous and spontaneous over that last 15 years. In 1996 I read Mary Ellen’s workbook, “Living without Depression and Manic Depression”, (which is now the “WRAP Plus” book). In 2006 I had the delightful pleasure of attending a WRAP class here in Soldotna. So began my Journey of Discovery. I also got my hands on the Fibromyalgia book, which became one of my wellness tools. I have the Honor of my story being accepted in “The WRAP Story” book of 2008, in the Facilitators section, by the way, further motivating me towards this goal I have accomplished.
Becky Sterling
Facilitator training gave me a chance to use something awful in my life for something good and thereby reduce the “awful” part down to a manageable level. Then I began to grow. Advance Facilitator training helped me get my “self” out of the way of helping others. Both trainings and ongoing use of skills increase my awareness of healthy ways to interact with my world by contributing to others without diminishing me.
Yvonne Smith
Actually, I had used the Living with Depression & Manic Depression [workbooks] before attending the facilitators training in 1999. I had also looked at the WRAP book. However, the training for WRAP really helps you to be able to create an atmosphere of mutual learning and healing that you cannot get from just reading. It’s actually seeing it practiced, trouble shooting and looking at where one can improve for all to move forward. These skills are not instantly known of how to incorporate this learning environment in creating not just a recovery community, but a wellness way of life, is not instant even if you have facilitated other groups and programs for years. The refresher trainings are essential to keeping to the evidenced based practices. I continue to experience growth in my facilitation and my own wellness. The Copeland facilitation system of support and training is important to keeping to the fidelity to model (Values, Ethics and good WRAP facilitation practices around peer support.
Tammie Gladden Collins
I can honestly and truthfully say that the week of Facilitator training was better than a speeding train on a roller coaster ride. Exciting, scary, fulfilling my anticipations, grounding all of us into a focus of Recovery for All. The benefits are many faceted, and getting valid feedback (more valuable than gold) from experienced WRAP Facilitator Trainers was most inspirational Crystal Choate
Being a WRAP facilitator makes all the bad things I experience through my years worth the pain. Having a chance to bring that hope for the future and support for the now while working with others through their WRAP is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. After all, isn’t it hope that keeps us going?
Janet Laird
I heard about WRAP at a mental health conference and became interested enough to purchase the Red Book. I felt it articulated what I had discovered for myself concerning wellness and recovery. I was fascinated that there was a facilitator training to learn how to share it with others. I had a particular friend who was really struggling, and I wanted to share this self-management system with her but didn’t want to do it “wrong” so I signed up for the correspondence course so I could then take the facilitator training so I could learn how to do it “right”. Unfortunately, my friend committed suicide before I finished the course and never experienced the process of creating her own wellness plan. I went on to become a facilitator in anticipation of conducting WRAP Workshops through my local county mental health department, but they were not interested. So, I became an independent contractor in 2005 and have been facilitating workshops for private individuals and for local organizations who contract with me. I have taken additional training as a CPS and Advanced Level WRAP Facilitator as well as a creativity Coach using art with WRAP. I think it is difficult to only read the material and write your own WRAP, I find my clients really benefit from the interaction and explanation of the various lists and concepts.
Marvel Lee Boolman
The benefits of the course: peer-social, bringing others together with similar issues. uplifting personal responsibility (have to get to the class, doing the work, taking wellness in our own hands, teaching commitment coming to the classes. building courage as we try the things we have been guided to do; some are scary and when we achieve, we build upon our courage which allows us to become leaders in our own wellness and being able to help others.
Marvel Lee Boolman
Boy the value of a WRAP facilitator! I am not sure there is enough space here to write … they give hope, they give skills that tell a person their illness is not in control but in many ways they can be. They give a tool that works with medication, not just the cure is all medication. Facilitators bring lived experience to the table giving the comfort that we are not alone. They bring the gift of self -awareness. They show compassion in a service that has very little at times. They give people a reason to live by giving a gift that changes the hard effects of the illness.
Muriel Rouse
The value of the WRAP facilitator is to guide mental health recovery skills, to give hope in recovery. Mental health recovery skills to people who experience mental health challenges, to their family members and to health care providers. Wrap can be used for many Action Plans. I use W.R.A.P. on a daily basics. As I guide others in education. Certified W.R.A.P. Facilitator, Copeland Center.
Jennifer Redd
I am a CPS and a WRAP facilitator…I have been using the book “The Loneliness Workbook” with one of my peers…on a 1:1 basis…it was clear that a prior attempt at developing and using a WRAP had resulted in loss of hope instead of gaining new skills to feel better. We started working together on the loneliness workbook but still needed support to become more motivated to develop a WRAP plan…Recently we both discussed how unexpected the positive change has been recently with attitude about WRAP, approaching making decisions for self, HOPE and most importantly, this person has gained new skills to practice being authentic with myself and others. This book is awesome, and we plan on developing a WRAP plan…thanks to this new approach!
Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD, developed Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) with a group of people with lived experience who were attending a mental health recovery workshop in 1997. She is the original author of the WRAP Red Book, as well as dozens of other WRAP books and materials. She has dedicated the last 30 years of her life to learning from people who have mental health issues; discovering the simple, safe, non-invasive ways they get well, stay well, and move forward in their lives; and then sharing what she has learned with others through keynote addresses, trainings, and the development of books, curriculums, and other resources. Now that she is retired, and that, as she intended, others are continuing to share what she has learned, she continues to learn from those who have mental health issues and those who support them. She is a frequent contributor to this site.
