Thoughts after Final Exam

Now that I have completed the final exam for this class and have been reviewing the modules all week, I am finding it hard to pick just one concept that sticks out the most to me. In some ways, all of the concepts intertwine with each other. Deinstitutionalization was such a life altering change for people to go through and I believe it really started the beginning of the recovery movement. Society began to look at the way people were being treated in the mental institutions and started to realize that it wasn't right and that there were other options. Since everyone was transitioned to living in the community, I think the other key concept from these modules is the importance of community programs that enable people to live independently in their communities. Without these programs in place, people would not have the hope or courage to live independently or in some cases, learn the skills to be able to live independently. I also think peer support is another major concept in recovery and one that appears to be gaining more recognition in community mental health services over the past several years. I have gained a lot of useful knowledge from these modules and at times, it has been a humbling reminder of how recovery began but has also provided an optimistic view into the future as people continue to advocate for changes to be made in mental health care.