Which of the following is one of the five principles of Strengths-Based Recovery Planning?

Which of the following is one of the five principles of Strengths-Based Recovery Planning?

• A. Focus on deficits
• B. Community contains resources
• C. Based on self-determination
• D. People learn, grow, & change

Answer: (A)

In Strengths-Based Recovery Planning, the guiding idea is that the person leads their own recovery, using their strengths and the resources available in the community to shape goals and supports. That autonomy is what makes the planning process meaningful and motivating for the individual. The principle that most directly captures this approach is that planning is based on self-determination. When the person drives decisions—choosing goals, deciding which supports to use, and setting the pace and direction of their plan—the plan becomes truly theirs. This fosters engagement, ownership, and a sense of empowerment, which are central to successful recovery. Focusing on deficits runs counter to this approach because it centers on what’s wrong rather than what the person can build with. It can undermine motivation and overlook existing strengths and resources. Recognizing that the community contains resources fits with strengths-based work, since leveraging community supports is part of how plans are built, but it describes a component rather than the core driver of the planning process. The idea that people learn, grow, and change aligns with recovery’s hopeful, dynamic nature, though it’s more about outcomes than the central process that guides planning.

In Strengths-Based Recovery Planning, the guiding idea is that the person leads their own recovery, using their strengths and the resources available in the community to shape goals and supports. That autonomy is what makes the planning process meaningful and motivating for the individual.

The principle that most directly captures this approach is that planning is based on self-determination. When the person drives decisions—choosing goals, deciding which supports to use, and setting the pace and direction of their plan—the plan becomes truly theirs. This fosters engagement, ownership, and a sense of empowerment, which are central to successful recovery.

Focusing on deficits runs counter to this approach because it centers on what’s wrong rather than what the person can build with. It can undermine motivation and overlook existing strengths and resources. Recognizing that the community contains resources fits with strengths-based work, since leveraging community supports is part of how plans are built, but it describes a component rather than the core driver of the planning process. The idea that people learn, grow, and change aligns with recovery’s hopeful, dynamic nature, though it’s more about outcomes than the central process that guides planning.