Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Contemporary housing issues: roundtable discussion and case studies
- Author:
- TURNING POINT
- Publisher:
- Turning Point
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 6
- Place of publication:
- London
Summarising the findings from a roundtable discussion with service users and frontline staff from across the country on their experiences with social housing, this paper raises concerns of people with mental health issues looking for housing as part of their recovery. The paper examines some of the current challenges, focusing on the temporary status of residential service users, which limit their eligibility to access local services, including housing; communication breakdown between services and agencies; and managing people with mental health issues. Recommendations from this paper include: a dedicated liaison officer and better training provided to staff to help applicants with the process of applying for housing and to address the breakdown in communication so applicants are better informed; the reintroduction of the points-based system in order to establish priority based on needs; more transparency in the whole housing system is needed as there does not appear to be a clear, open way of working by housing officers when working with housing applicants; and local authorities should prioritise people with mental health conditions given that the stability of housing can have a significant effect on the ongoing recovery and continued wellbeing of individuals. (Edited publisher abstract)
A day in the life of a peer support worker: beginnings
- Author:
- WATSON Emma
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 19(4), 2015, pp.169-171.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose:The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into the day-to-day challenges and experiences of a peer support worker. Design/methodology/approach: A reflective account of the experience of a first meeting with a peer, offering support through a series of difficult situations. Findings:Reflections are offered on the importance of relationships and overcoming feelings of disillusionment with mental health services. Originality/value:This paper adds to the small number of accounts of the experiences of Peer Support Working in mental health services and as such is highly original. (Publisher abstract)
Hoarding: key considerations and examples of best practice
- Author:
- McPHILLIPS Marcus
- Publisher:
- National Housing Federation
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 26
- Place of publication:
- London
Drawing on the learning from a series of regional events organised by the National Housing Federation and Sitra, this report looks at the issues surrounding hoarding disorder for housing association staff working in general needs and supported housing. Areas discussed include: risk management challenges, health and safety concerns, escalating legal costs and safeguarding issues. Best practice examples are also included. (Edited publisher abstract)
Indirect payments: practitioners' guide
- Author:
- MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
- Publisher:
- Mental Health Foundation
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Place of publication:
- London
This guide is designed to help social care practitioners work through the process of ensuring that people who lack capacity to make certain decisions about their lives are able to take advantage of the full range of options for receiving care and support, including direct payments. Each section gives practical hints and tips about the key stages in the process, covering: assessing whether a person has mental capacity to consent to a direct payment; making a ‘best interests’ decision about using an indirect payment; identifying an ‘authorised person’; managing an indirect payment; monitoring and reviewing an indirect payment; and ending an indirect payment. A selection of illustrative case studies is included. (Edited publisher abstract)
Mental health and policing: improving crisis care
- Authors:
- NHS CONFEDERATION. Mental Health Network, ASSOCIATION OF CHIEF POLICE OFFICERS
- Publisher:
- NHS Confederation. Mental Health Network
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 12
- Place of publication:
- London
This briefing highlights some of the emerging good practice between the police and mental health providers to deliver improved care for people in mental health crisis. It demonstrates that by focusing on early intervention, partnership working can substantially reduce the number of people being subjected to mental health legislation. Benefits include: less distress for service users; better use of professional skill mix; cost savings for police, healthcare and local authority services; and improved signposting and provision of appropriate interventions for individuals. The briefing makes a number of recommendations, including: more work needs to be done to support multiagency information sharing on the front line; NHS commissioners need to work with providers to ensure there are sufficient health-based places of safety to meet local demand; commissioners need to ensure that sufficient services are in place for 24/7 provision to meet local need; the formal evaluation of the triage pilots should outline the key considerations for implementing different models of triage across different populations and demographics; and the outcome of the Home Office pilot should inform the role the voluntary sector can play in providing alternative places of safety for individuals in crisis. (Edited publisher abstract)
Survivors' voices: breaking the silence on living with the impact of child sexual abuse in the family environment
- Author:
- ONE IN FOUR
- Publisher:
- One in Four
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 48
- Place of publication:
- London
Using first-hand accounts, this report illustrates the effects suffered by people who were sexually abused as children in the family environment. In the report, adult survivors describe the long-term impact that childhood sexual abuse in the family environment has had on their lives and what has helped them to survive. The narratives demonstrates how sexual abuse in childhood can be associated with long-term conditions such as eating disorders, self-harm, addiction to alcohol or drugs, and mental illness including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts and behaviour. Many survivors also end up in the criminal justice system through the misuse of alcohol and drugs, causing significant costs to society. To draw out the key themes an analysis of the individual narratives was carried out. Themes discuss the impact on the survivor, their families; the professional responses; and also include a list of survivors’ recommendations. Recommendations include: improve the training of health-related professionals; improve referral pathways for survivors to ensure they are directed to specialist agencies; and the involvement of survivors and survivor organisations in the training of professionals and service development. The report will be useful for policy-makers, healthcare professionals and social workers to help them to understand what it means to have been sexually abused as children by a relative or close family friend. (Edited publisher abstract)
Peer-to-peer mental health: a community evaluation case study
- Authors:
- FLEGG Mirika, GORDON-WALKER Maggie, SHONA Maguire
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice, 10(5), 2015, pp.282-293.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a third-sector community review into peer-to-peer best practices in mental health service provision in Sussex. This community initiative was funded by the Big Lottery to explore the benefits of the peer-led approach on individual and public health outcomes and identify avenues for partnership working. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 131 participants who had engaged with peer-to-peer services both as receivers and providers of support were invited to share knowledge and best-practice expertise via a survey, focus groups and a public consultation day. Findings: This case study review suggests peer-to-peer support services as an innovative approach to reducing suicide, self-harm, reliance on public health services (GPs, hospital stays, etc.) and engaging with drugs, alcohol and criminal activity. In addition to offering a holistic and social approach to mental health, it further identifies that engagement in peer-to-peer activities potentially provide long-term benefits by reducing the stigma associated with mental health conditions and treatment. This review highlights the importance of third-sector groups in providing peer-to-peer mental health support services. It recommends a network of Peer-to-Peer services to share best practices and improve partnership working. Originality/value: Conducted by and for people with personal or family experiences with mental health challenges, this review captures the often inaccessible ideas of a highly marginalised group. It communicates how they would prefer to work in partnership with academic institutions, public and statutory service to improve individual and community health outcomes. (Publisher abstract)
Learning disabilities: positive practice guide
- Authors:
- DAGNAN Dave, et al
- Publisher:
- Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 34
- Place of publication:
- London
This practice guide provides information on how to best support people with learning disabilities to access their local Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service. It is aimed at those who work in, commission, or refer to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. The guide outlines the reasonable adjustments that are recommended to ensure that people with learning disabilities get the maximum benefit from treatment within an IAPT service. Areas discussed include: service models, changes to referral and access pathways; screening; adjustments to mainstream IAPT pathways; assessment; adaptations to treatment and interventions; and making information accessible. Practical examples are included to show how some teams have made reasonable adjustments to support access to IAPT service. The guide also covers the importance of training and developing the workforce and provides key points for commissioners of IAPT services consider to ensure that mainstream services effectively meet the needs of people with learning disabilities. (Edited publisher abstract)
Can whole family approaches contribute to the reablement of people with mental health difficulties?
- Author:
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH. School for Social Care Research
- Publisher:
- NIHR School for Social Care Research
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 4
- Place of publication:
- London
Summarises the findings of a study exploring how more inclusive service approaches that engage with families may enable people with mental health difficulties to lead fuller lives. The fieldwork comprised: a national survey to establish what ‘whole family’ practice models were being used in England and their prevalence; and case studies finding out from service users, family members and practitioners their perceptions of whether and how a family inclusive approach may have helped to bring about positive social outcomes in terms of improved family relationships, mental wellbeing and reablement. Four distinct practice models were identified as being offered in one of more geographical areas: systemic family therapy (SFT); behavioural family therapy (BFT); family group conferencing (FGC); and integrated systemic / behavioural approach (ISB). The accounts elicited from service users and (independently) from family members and practitioners demonstrated that whole family approaches can contribute to the reablement of people with mental health difficulties – although no one approach worked for everybody in all situations. In turn, reablement outcomes were closely associated with reported improvements in wellbeing. The case studies suggested different mechanisms of change both between models and for different families receiving the same service model. Where they were successful, whole family approaches enabled the family to provide a more effective ‘safe base’ from which service users could venture outwards and (re)engage with mainstream community life. (Edited publisher abstract)
Integrating a suicide prevention program into a school mental health system: a case example from a rural school district
- Authors:
- SCHMIDT Robert C., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Schools, 37(1), 2015, pp.18-26.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Youth suicide is a growing public health concern. As schools are becoming a key entry point for preventing and addressing youth suicide, the integration of suicide prevention efforts into existing school mental health (SMH) systems is becoming even more important. Unfortunately, as schools expand and adapt their existing SMH systems to meet this need, little guidance is available to them regarding how to do this. This article shares a case study documenting one rural school district's efforts to initiate, implement, and evaluate a suicide prevention programme (Yellow Ribbon Ask 4 Help) through integration into the district's existing SMH system. Data were collected from 5,949 sixth- to 12th-grade students over four academic years, and changes were tracked in relationship to students' knowledge and help-seeking behaviours to support peers with suicidal thoughts. Data also capture the reasons students gave for experiencing suicidal thoughts, and the prevalence of these reasons. This case study suggests the feasibility of integrating a suicide prevention programme into an existing SMH system and offers strategies for other schools to consider in their efforts. Implications for school social workers developing programmes to prevent and address suicide among students through connections to SMH systems also are discussed. (Edited publisher abstract)