for a diagnosis of disorder; and to adopt a dimensional approach to assessment that better captures individuality and does not erroneously imply excess psychopathology or chronicity. national policies and implementation united states and canada the new freedom commission on mental health has proposed to transform the mental health system in the us by shifting the paradigm of care from traditional medical psychiatric treatment toward the concept of recovery, and the american psychiatric association has endorsed a recovery model from a psychiatric services perspective. the us department of health and human services reports developing national and state initiatives to empower consumers and support recovery, with specific committees planning to launch nationwide pro-recovery, anti-stigma education campaigns; develop and synthesize recovery policies; train consumers in carrying out evaluations of mental health systems; and help further the development of peer-run services. mental health service directors and planners are providing guidance to help state services implement recovery approaches. some us states, such as california (see the california mental health services act), wisconsin and ohio, already report redesigning their mental health systems to stress recovery model values like hope, healing, empowerment, social connectedness, human rights, and recovery-oriented services. at least some parts of the canadian mental health association, such as the ontario region, have adopted recovery as a guiding principle for reforming and developing the mental health system. new zealand and australia since 1998, all mental health services in new zealand have been required by government policy to use a recovery approach and mental health professionals are expected to demonstrate competence in the recovery model. australia's national mental health plan 2003-2008 states that services should adopt a recovery orientation although there is variation between australian states and territories in the level of knowledge, commitment and implementation. uk and ireland in 2005, the national institute for mental health in england (nimhe) endorsed a recovery model as a possible guiding principle of mental health service provision and public education. the national health service is implementing a recovery approach in at least some regions, and has developed a new professional role of support time and recovery worker. centre for mental health issued a 2008 policy paper proposing that the recovery approach is an idea "whose time has come" and, in partnership with the nhs confederation mental health network, and support and funding from the department of health, manages the implementing recovery through organisational change (imroc) nationwide project that aims to put recovery at the heart of mental health services in the uk. the scottish executive has included the promotion and support of recovery as one of its four key mental health aims and funded a scottish recovery network to facilitate this. a 2006 review of nursing in scotland recommended a recovery approach as the model for mental health nursing care and intervention. the mental health commission of ireland reports that its guiding documents place the service user at the core and emphasize an individual's personal journey towards recovery.