We talked to people recovering from mental illness across Tasmania and asked them to tell us about what helped them to reclaim their lives and enable them to lead full and rewarding lives in their community. Specifically, we wanted to know about the role of natural supports. This research identifies the range of natural supports used by people recovering from mental illness and explores their experiences of accessing, using and maintaining them. It also explores the links between natural supports and social inclusion and recovery, and reviews how mental health service providers currently understand and experience their work in assisting people to mobilise natural supports.