WRAP®: A Universal Key for Whole Health

by Matthew Federici, Executive Director

The Wellness Recovery Action Plan can “Save Lives!”  I recently attended a SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration) Wellness Steering Committee, when it became clear that we need to shine a light on the whole health approach that WRAP® is in the lives of so many of us.  The SAMHSA Wellness Steering committee is a multidisciplinary Steering Committee representing “consumers”, providers, and researchers guiding national strategies to tackle the issues of whole health for people who are served by the mental health system as a result of alarming number of people with mental health diagnosis who are having significant medical issues including heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease and are receiving inadequate access to medical care.  You can learn more about the committee at http://www.promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov/10by10/

WRAP is like a universal skeleton key that can unlock many aspects of wellness in one’s life.  As a WRAP® Facilitator following the Copeland Center values and ethics, the workshop discussions and learning has always been one of whole health wellness and recovery; or recovery our wellness.  Our focus on Hope, Personal Responsibility, Education, Self Advocacy and Support as a foundation for self-directed recovery and the planning process for recovering our wellness encompasses our minds, body and souls.  The simple, accessible and safe wellness tools we discovery with each other, have benefits on multiple aspect of our health not just our thoughts and emotions.  

Million Hearts, another national initiative, is guided to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years and as joined forces with the Wellness Steering Committee.  To illustrate why, 73.7% of those with coronary heart disease in our nation have been identified as having 1 or more “behavioral health problem(s).” Obesity, diabetes and smoking are three main areas discussed as contributing to the alarming numbers of pre-mature death and linked to higher risks for heart problems.   These three aspects of wellness are also popular areas people have used WRAP to achieve significant positive results.  You can learn more about Million Hearts at http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/

 Here are just a few examples from real people who WRAP is useful for multiple aspects of their health:

  • “Frankly, I use my WRAP plan for everything in my life, and I do have health issues including diabetes. It is as important as my daily meds.....”  -Angel
  • “I have three WRAPs. One for my Mental Health, one for my diabetes, and one for work. It is an amazing tool.” -Tammie
  • “I use WRAP for living well with MS.” - Nannette
  • “I used WRAP with my WRAP buddy for weight loss and more importantly, as a tool to get through a Stage 3 cancer and 6 subsequent surgeries.”  -Margo


If you want to experience greater wellness not just based on one aspect of health but your whole health, then try WRAP®.  If you want to improve the life span and whole health of people you serve in the mental health filed contact the Copeland Center and bring a WRAP® Facilitation to your community. As it is has been said many, many times WRAP® SAVES LIVES, its for you and “only you can do a WRAP!”