Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) is a self-help tool designed to help individuals with mental health challenges create a personalized plan for recovery and maintaining wellness. Developed by Mary Ellen Copeland (see our interview, “Using Self-Help Skills for Recovery: The WRAP Approach.”)

WRAP emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, self-empowerment, and personal responsibility. It consists of several key components:

1. Wellness Toolbox: A list of resources and strategies that can help improve well-being, such as exercise, journaling, relaxation techniques, and support from friends and family.
2. Daily Maintenance Plan: A guide to help individuals identify and implement daily activities that support their mental health, such as taking medications, getting enough sleep, and engaging in hobbies.
3. Triggers: Recognizing external events or circumstances that can cause distress and developing a plan to manage or avoid them.
4. Early Warning Signs: Identifying subtle internal changes that may signal a decline in mental health, and creating a plan to address these signs before they escalate.
5. When Things Are Breaking Down: Recognizing more severe signs of mental health deterioration and implementing a crisis plan to regain stability.
6. Crisis Planning: Creating a detailed plan for managing a mental health crisis, including identifying a support network, outlining preferred treatment methods, and specifying what steps should be taken to ensure safety and recovery.
7. Post-Crisis Planning: Developing a plan for regaining wellness and returning to daily routines after experiencing a mental health crisis.

 Editor’s note: This is a brief companion piece to Dr. Copeland's Q&A, "Using Self-Help Skills for Recovery: The WRAP Approach."