Influence the production of guidance for therapists

ALL PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP (APPG) for PRESCRIBED DRUG DEPENDENCE (PDD) 

GUIDELINES FOR THERAPISTS – INVOLVEMENT WANTED - Apply by Monday 10 September

Expressions of interest are sought from psychological therapists, ex-clients, clients and carers/supporters, to join a panel of reviewers or to be involved in a specific working group for a project creating guidance for psychological therapists who work with clients/patients taking and/or withdrawing from, prescribed psychiatric drugs.

This project is a collaboration between The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), The British Psychological Society (BPS), The National Service User Network (NSUN) and The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

In producing the guidelines there are three tranches (or workstreams):

  • Tranche 1      will summarise the evidence base.
  • Tranche 2      will consider the implications of the evidence base for the main therapeutic ways of working (modalities) and settings.
  • Tranche 3      will consider the evidence for dependence and withdrawal, and how clients withdrawing from prescribed drugs might best be supported.

Reviewers of a written draft are wanted for Tranches 1 and 3.

Participation in discussions and reviewing a written draft is wanted for Tranche 2.

Please read the role descriptions carefully.

There are already a range of experts by experience involved in this project.

We aim to recruit:

  • an additional three clients/ex-clients
  • three carers/supporters
  • six psychological therapy practitioners (2 from each organisation BACP, BPS and UKCP)

It is recognised that applicants may have experience in more than one of the groups sought (i.e. client, ex-client, carer, therapist).

How to apply:

For an overview of the project please read the project briefing note

For a description of the roles please read:

To apply please complete this short form by Monday 10 September 2018 and email to Ché Rosebert [email protected]

We plan to speak with applicants’ week commencing 17 September 2018.

Important notes:

By submitting the expression of interest form you are consenting for members of the Guidelines for Therapists Steering Group to contact you directly via email in the first instance.

Please look for acknowledgement of your application in your spam/junk box.

To do this work you will need to have reliable access to emails.

If you do not receive an acknowledgement by Wednesday 12 September, please resend.

Your data will be held securely in line with General Data Protection Regulation (2018) and will not be used for any other purpose without your additional consent.

Wanted: steering group members from YORKSHIRE & HUMBER, NORTH EAST and EAST MIDLANDS

The Collective Voice of User/Survivors from Racialised Groups:‘Reigniting the Space’

We are looking for mental health service users/survivors from Yorkshire & Humber, the North East and the East of England to join a Steering Group to oversee, advise and support the development of a national network of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) mental health service users and survivors.

The project, funded by Lankelly Chase, aims to bring together BME user/survivors and their groups to create a forum for collective political voice and action through facilitating networking, information sharing and collaboration.

A key initial activity of the project is to map the current field of BME user/survivor-led work in England.

We are recruiting mental health service users and survivors from communities racialised as ‘BME’ who are involved in activities addressing intersecting issues around ‘race’, culture and mental health. We are especially looking for people who will be able to represent local and regional issues and develop connections with other BME user-led work in their areas.

The Steering Group has nine positions, six of which have been filled. We are looking again for one person from each of the regions yet to be represented – Yorkshire & Humber, the North East and the East Midlands.

The Steering Group will work closely with the project manager and the researchers who will undertake the mapping.

The Steering Group will have quarterly meetings. Meetings will be held in the regions where the mapping activities will take place.

Appointed members will be able to claim a fee of up to £200 plus travel and reasonable expenses for each day spent on the project.

Please see attached Role Description for further details. To apply, please fill in the Application Form.

Closing date for applications: 12 noon, Friday 10 August 2018

Interviews: mid-August

If you have any questions or require assistance with applying, please contact Jayasree Kalathil at [email protected] or call on 07906165614.

Help shape a new national programme on ethnic inequalities and severe mental illness in the UK - survey closes Oct 2018

The first national online survey of its kind to give members of the public the opportunity to set the research priorities in the field of ethnic inequalities and severe mental illness has just been launched. 
 
Led by the Synergi Collaborative Centre, the national public survey will shape the centre’s future work programme, facilitate the creation of research strategies to tackle mental health inequalities and help launch a national campaign to transform health systems.
 
Reflective of Synergi’s co-production of knowledge approach, the 15-minute survey aims to secure the opinions of a wide cross section of the public, including patients, carers, health and social care practitioners, commissioners, NGOs, volunteers and students.
 
The survey is being launched against a backdrop of longstanding ethnic inequalities, including the fact that compared to the majority population, a diagnosis of schizophrenia is five to six times more likely in Black African people and Black Caribbean people, and nearly three times more likely in South Asian people. As for detention rates among the civil population, Black Caribbean people and Black African people are three times more likely to be detained.
 
Open to the public until 10 October 2018, the survey covers a wide range of topics that accommodate intersectionality, the criminal justice system, housing, education, homelessness, health services, racism and commissioning.
 
The main findings will be shared with policymakers, research institutions and commissioners, and will be made available to the public from November 2018. 
 
Click here for the official link to the National Public Survey on Ethnic Inequalities and Severe Mental Illness.

Places of safety lived experience research

Please help to improve the service and environment at Places of Safety in North West London

The NHS is planning improvements to the service and environment at Places of Safety across the eight North West London boroughs (Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster).

The police can use the law (sections 136/135 of the Mental Health Act) to take people from a public/private place to a Place of Safety if they seem to be unwell and in need of care. At the Place of Safety mental health staff can assess a person’s needs and work out the best next steps for them.

We need to know from people with direct experience of Places of Safety (s136/5) in North West London what they think is most important to meet people’s needs in future.

What can you do?

  • If you have direct experience please consider giving your time to take the survey (below).
  • If you know someone with this experience, please let them know about the survey.
  • If you would like to arrange to take the survey in a person-to-person meeting or over the phone, please contact: [email protected]

Here is the link to take the survey online:

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/NWLplacesofsafety/

Mental Health Matters projects needs volunteers

Gateshead out of Hours service provides opportunities for people to have somewhere to go out of normal service delivery hours to meet other people, participate in interesting and fun activities and receive support and general advice.

The Gateshead out of Hours service needs a volunteer admin, cook and activities support.

For more information please download this document, provided by the project

Londoners, it's Time to Thrive!

Thrive London has just launched a new project called Time to Thrive. The project is about understanding how the discrimination Londoners face due to their identity affects their mental health and wellbeing.

At this stage, Thrive London is inviting Londoners from all walks of life to share their stories. Thrive London hopes to receive hundreds of stories covering wellbeing, physical and mental health and individuality.

If you would like to get involved in this project, you can register your interest.

Share your coping strategies with the Guardian

Tell the Guardian how you helped yourself overcome the challenges in your life.

Whether you have experienced trauma or loss the Guardian would like to hear about the coping mechanisms you developed to help you through.

You can read more about this and use the online form to respond here

Take part in study into new talking therapy for Bipolar Disorder or Cyclothymic Disorder (Cumbria)

The ThrIVe-B programme is a research study looking at a talking therapy for people who have Bipolar Disorder or Cyclothymic Disorder, and experience frequent mood swings. The programme is aimed at helping people to stabilise day-to-day mood and to manage stress.

Researchers plan to include 16 people from Cumbria in the study. Half of these people (decided at random) will receive their usual NHS care, whilst the other half will also attend the ThrIVe-B programme. This involves attending regular small group sessions in Carlisle as well as individual meetings with a qualified NHS therapist.
 
Everyone who takes part, whether or not they receive the therapy, will be asked to complete questionnaires and research interviews at several points over a 15 month period.

You will be able to claim expenses for traveling to research appointments.
To sign up or get more information, get in touch with Debbie Duncan at[email protected] or 01524 592291.

You can also visit the website for further information: http://psychology.exeter.ac.uk/thriveb/