Recovery and the role of humility : insights from a case study analysis

When the individuals comprising a profession are focused more on competition rather than service to others, and when holding a significant place on the world stage is held in higher esteem than meaningful collaboration with the disempowered, is it possible to be truly consumer-centred? This article considers the notion of humility in the context of recovery and the challenges to the effective implementation of recovery-oriented services that have been identified. Insights are drawn from a case study analysis of the implementation of recovery approaches to health care into a publicly-funded mental health service located in Australia. While challenges to the operationalization of recovery are complex, we argue that the professional quality of humility provides an important means by which genuine and meaningful collaboration can be achieved among health professionals, consumers, carers, and other stakeholders.