WRAP: Your Personal Blueprint for Mental Health Recovery and Wellness
Mental health recovery is personal, and one empowering tool is the Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP). Developed by Mary Ellen Copeland, WRAP offers a flexible way for individuals to manage their mental health. Originally created for people with mental health challenges, it's now widely used by anyone seeking to maintain balance and well-being.
What is WRAP?
Mary Ellen herself describes WRAP as the following:
WRAP groups begin with an introduction to the Key Recovery Concepts— hope, personal responsibility, education, self- advocacy and support— the concepts that I discovered when I first began studying this issue and which have stood the test of time.
The “Power of WRAP,” she notes, lies in its simplicity and adaptability. WRAP is built around evidence-based practices, including:
- The Wellness Toolbox
- Daily Maintenance Plan
- Triggers and an Action Plan
- Early Warning Signs and an Action Plan
- When Things are Breaking Down and an Action Plan
- Crisis Plan or Advance Directive
- Post Crisis Planning
How does WRAP work?
At WRAP’s heart is the Wellness Toolbox: a collection of practical strategies tailored to promote well-being. These tools vary for each person and might include journaling, meditation, spending time with loved ones, or engaging in hobbies that ease distressing symptoms.
Another core element is understanding behavior patterns, emotion recognition, and social awareness to identify triggers or early warning signs. Triggers might include, for instance, work stress, and early warning signs could be feelings of irritability or exhaustion. Recognizing these signals early enables proactive self-care or reaching out for peer support.
Crisis planning is a vital part of WRAP. It helps individuals develop a personalized plan for managing a mental health crisis , including information about medications, treatment preferences, and key contacts. After a crisis, the post-crisis plan helps guide the recovery process and return to stability.
Crisis planning is a crucial WRAP feature, helping individuals create detailed, personal plans for navigating a mental health crisis. This includes preferred treatments, medication details, and key contacts. The Post Crisis Plan then helps map a path back to stability, supporting both emotional recovery and clinical recovery.
Learn even more about the way WRAP works and the evidence behind it here.
The People Behind WRAP
WRAP’s effectiveness is amplified through trained supporters like WRAP Facilitators and Certified Wellbeing Mentors, many of which are part of the peer support workforce. These individuals, often with lived experience, bring authenticity and empathy to the process. Training, guided by the facilitator training manual, ensures facilitators are well-prepared to guide others in building personalized WRAPs.
Mary Ellen Copeland’s vision has reached people worldwide, through workshops, keynote addresses, and author interviews. Her work has inspired trauma informed care approaches and informed mental health systems globally. A recent systematic review underscores WRAP’s effectiveness in promoting recovery and empowerment among diverse populations.
The Power of WRAP
Incorporating WRAP into daily life helps individuals take charge of their mental health issues. It reminds us that recovery is possible, offering tools to live a life of wellness. WRAP is more than just a plan, it's a powerful tool for sustained mental wellbeing.
WRAP is one way to take charge of your wellness journey. If you're interested, explore detailed templates and get expert guidance at the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery to start helping your loved one build or building your own WRAP today!