British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Launched in December 2011, the Troubled Families programme has a budget of some £450 million to ‘turn around the lives’ of 120,000 families. The Government has created 3 main criteria to define a ‘troubled family’: involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour; truancy; and adult unemployment and reliance on benefits. Social policy commentators argue that the programme does nothing to address the real problems of deepening poverty and widening inequality in society and will not improve the life chances of children in deprived families and break the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage and dysfunction. This article discusses whether counselling has a place in interventions to help troubled families break free from the cycle of disadvantage. Practitioners on the front line describe the approaches they use to support these families. The interventions described include: Family Intervention Projects; a community counselling service; therapeutic support offered as part of a package of family support; and group therapy for women survivors of child sexual abuse.
Launched in December 2011, the Troubled Families programme has a budget of some £450 million to ‘turn around the lives’ of 120,000 families. The Government has created 3 main criteria to define a ‘troubled family’: involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour; truancy; and adult unemployment and reliance on benefits. Social policy commentators argue that the programme does nothing to address the real problems of deepening poverty and widening inequality in society and will not improve the life chances of children in deprived families and break the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage and dysfunction. This article discusses whether counselling has a place in interventions to help troubled families break free from the cycle of disadvantage. Practitioners on the front line describe the approaches they use to support these families. The interventions described include: Family Intervention Projects; a community counselling service; therapeutic support offered as part of a package of family support; and group therapy for women survivors of child sexual abuse.
Subject terms:
intervention, poverty, sexual abuse, counselling, families, family support, group therapy, government policy;
The principles of intentional peer support, a formal model of peer support developed in the US, are briefly summarised. The peer support project operated by Sutton Mental Health Foundation is then described. As well as providing training for peer support they provide intentional peer support on acute psychiatric wards for South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
The principles of intentional peer support, a formal model of peer support developed in the US, are briefly summarised. The peer support project operated by Sutton Mental Health Foundation is then described. As well as providing training for peer support they provide intentional peer support on acute psychiatric wards for South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
Subject terms:
mental health problems, peer groups, service users, training, acute psychiatric care, care workers, peer support;
A new report on the health of the working age population in the UK, 'Working for a Healthier Tomorrow', highlights the importance of early intervention and better workplace support to cut the numbers of people claiming long term sickness benefits. This article looks at the problem and discusses some current initiatives.
A new report on the health of the working age population in the UK, 'Working for a Healthier Tomorrow', highlights the importance of early intervention and better workplace support to cut the numbers of people claiming long term sickness benefits. This article looks at the problem and discusses some current initiatives.
Subject terms:
intervention, mental health problems, physical illness, prevention, employment;
Up to half of all mental health service users are parents of children under the age of 18, yet this aspect of their lives is often ignored by both adult mental health services and local authority children's services. This article highlights the importance of closer working between mental health and children's services. It also highlights initiatives currently operating in this area.
Up to half of all mental health service users are parents of children under the age of 18, yet this aspect of their lives is often ignored by both adult mental health services and local authority children's services. This article highlights the importance of closer working between mental health and children's services. It also highlights initiatives currently operating in this area.
Subject terms:
joint working, mental health problems, mental health services, parenting, parents, adult social care, childrens social care, parental mental health;
Home treatment provides brief, intensive care at home as an alternative to hospital admission. This article describes the work of the older people's home treatment team based at Penn Hospital at Wolverhampton, winners of the NIMHE Positive Practice Award for innovative commissioning. Their model reduces the risk of dependency and also helps older people re-engage with their families and communities.
Home treatment provides brief, intensive care at home as an alternative to hospital admission. This article describes the work of the older people's home treatment team based at Penn Hospital at Wolverhampton, winners of the NIMHE Positive Practice Award for innovative commissioning. Their model reduces the risk of dependency and also helps older people re-engage with their families and communities.
Subject terms:
home care, mental health problems, older people, community mental health services, commissioning;
The author discusses the possible link between cannabis and psychoses. The government's decision to downgrade cannabis to a class C drug is also discussed.
The author discusses the possible link between cannabis and psychoses. The government's decision to downgrade cannabis to a class C drug is also discussed.
The author reports on an initiative from the community mental health team in Kingston upon Thames which aimed to improve access to the community mental health team and its admiral nursing service - nurses with specialist training in supporting the carers of people with dementia - for people from black and minority ethnic communities. The team ran dementia awareness sessions using local translators to get their message across. The initiative was winner of the NIMHE Positive Practice Award for recognising diversity.
The author reports on an initiative from the community mental health team in Kingston upon Thames which aimed to improve access to the community mental health team and its admiral nursing service - nurses with specialist training in supporting the carers of people with dementia - for people from black and minority ethnic communities. The team ran dementia awareness sessions using local translators to get their message across. The initiative was winner of the NIMHE Positive Practice Award for recognising diversity.
Subject terms:
access to services, Asian people, carers, black and minority ethnic people, community mental health teams, dementia;
Devon PCT recently ran a training course on Intentional peer support for 30 people invited from voluntary organisations in Devon, Somerset and Cornwall. This article looks at the approach, how it differs from ordinary peer support and how the approach could be used in recovery programmes for people with mental health problems.
Devon PCT recently ran a training course on Intentional peer support for 30 people invited from voluntary organisations in Devon, Somerset and Cornwall. This article looks at the approach, how it differs from ordinary peer support and how the approach could be used in recovery programmes for people with mental health problems.
Subject terms:
mental health problems, mental health services, peer groups, self-help, support groups, peer support, support workers;