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Background: Recovery Colleges (RCs) are mental health and well-being education centres where people come together and learn skills that support their wellness. Co-production, co-learning and transformative education are fundamental to RCs. People with lived experience are recognized as experts who partner with health professionals in the design and actualization of educational programming. The pandemic has changed how RCs operate by necessitating a shift from in-person to virtual offerings. Given the relational ethos of RCs, it is important to explore how the experiences of RC members and communities were impacted during this time. To date, there has been limited scholarship on this topic. Methods: In this exploratory phase of a larger project, we used participatory action research to interview people who were accessing, volunteering and/or working in RCs across Canada. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-nine individuals who provided insights on what is important to them about RC programming. Results: Our study was conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, participants elucidated how their involvement in RCs was impacted by pandemic related restrictions. The results of this study demonstrate that RC programming is most effective when it: (1) is inclusive; (2) has a "good vibe"; and (3) equips people to live a fuller life. Conclusions: The pandemic, despite its challenges, has yielded insights into a possible evolution of the RC model that transcends the pandemic-context. In a time of great uncertainty, RCs served as safe spaces where people could redefine, pursue, maintain or recover wellness on their own terms. Plain English summary: Background: Recovery Colleges (RCs) are mental health and well-being education centres where people come together and learn skills that support their personal recovery journeys. What did we want to know? What approach did we take?: In this phase of a larger project, we used a participatory action research approach to interview people who were accessing, volunteering and/or working in RCs across Canada. This research approach draws on the knowledge of all researchers and participants and places equal value on personal and professional experiences. Therefore, this study was created and shaped by, with, and for people who participate in RCs in partnership with academic researchers. What Did We Do?: Twenty-nine individuals shared what is important to them about RC programming. Our study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic during the pandemic-related restrictions such as social distancing. What did we learn?: The results of this study demonstrate that RC programming is most effective when it: (1) is inclusive; (2) has a "good vibe"; and (3) equips people to live a fuller life. The pandemic, despite its challenges, could inform an evolution of the RC model that lasts beyond the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recovery Colleges (RCs) are education-based centres providing information, networking, and skills development for managing mental health, well-being, and daily living. A central principle is co-creation involving people with lived experience of mental health/illness and/or addictions (MHA). Identified gaps are RCs evaluations and information about whether such evaluations are co-created., Aims: We describe a co-created scoping review of how RCs are evaluated in the published and grey literature. Also assessed were: the frameworks, designs, and analyses used; the themes/outcomes reported; the trustworthiness of the evidence; and whether the evaluations are co-created., Methods: We followed Arksey and O'Malley's methodology with one important modification: "Consultation" was re-conceptualised as "co-creator engagement" and was the first, foundational step rather than the last, optional one., Results: Seventy-nine percent of the 43 included evaluations were peer-reviewed, 21% grey literature. These evaluations represented 33 RCs located in the UK (58%), Australia (15%), Canada (9%), Ireland (9%), the USA (6%), and Italy (3%)., Conclusion: Our findings depict a developing field that is exploring a mix of evaluative approaches. However, few evaluations appeared to be co-created. Although most studies referenced co-design/co-production, few described how much or how meaningfully people with lived experience were involved in the evaluation.