Minister of State with responsibility for Equality, Disability and Mental Health, Mr John Moloney TD, will open the conference 'Partners in Recovery: A Community Conference on Wellness and Recovery' at the Clayton Hotel in Galway on Thursday 16 October.

Jointly organised by Rehab divisions National Learning Network and RehabCare, the conference will be facilitated by Stephen Pocklington of the world-renowned Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery in Arizona.

Pocklington will examine WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) and what recovery can mean when one looks at the world through the lens of 'wellness', rather than through the lens of 'illness'.

WRAP is a self-management and recovery system, which is designed to:

• Decrease and prevent intrusive or troubling feelings and behaviours;
• Increase personal empowerment;
• Improve quality of life;
• Assist people in achieving their own life goals and dreams.

Pocklington will also explore the five key concepts of WRAP - hope, personal responsibility, education, self-advocacy and support.

"Mental health is vitally important to our general health and well-being, yet one in four people in Ireland will experience mental health difficulties at some stage in their lives. Support, advice and learning coping skills are all paramount in the recovery process," said Minister Moloney.

Explaining the benefits of WRAP that he will discuss at the conference, Stephen Pocklington said: "WRAP will put practical, concrete tools in our hands that allow us to take full advantage of a recovery worldview.

"It will equip us with tools we can use to create the lives we want for ourselves and create the environments we want to work in.

"WRAP, like recovery, is for everyone. WRAP inspires hope and helps us tap into the power of response-ability - the power to choose our response to whatever life throws at us.

"WRAP isn't a treatment or a treatment plan. It is concrete education about practical ways to take charge of your own wellness. It helps people find their authentic voices and ask for what they really need.

"Ultimately, WRAP empowers people to reconnect with and take advantage of all the support that is available - from professionals and from their peers."

The conference is open to anyone with an interest in mental health recovery. For more information, visit www.rehab.ie/mentalhealthconference.

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