The business case for mental health awareness is evidenced by the increasing numbers of employers who are commissioning mental health awareness trainings for their workforce. Employers want trainings which enable their staff to understand more about common mental health conditions. Understanding mental health means that staff can work better with clients and customers. It also allows staff to feel less isolated about personal issues around health and well-being.
Mental health awareness provides the opportunity for employers and employees to find out more about the law as it relates to employment and mental health.
Enlightened employers will seek to develop a workforce team which is happy rather than unhappy, fulfilled rather than excluded. Courses such as MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) show that attendees often feel that one of the benefits of the training in that it allows for a safe space. A safe space where individuals can share feelings about their personal well-being in addition to learning about the broader aspects of mental health conditions and the appropriate interventions.
In addition to mental health, it makes solid sense for businesses to incorporate awareness of social inclusion and mainstream. Returning to or accessing mainstream living is now a key part of the care pathway for those diagnosed with 'severe and enduring' mental health diagnoses. It is equally important for people who may be experiencing conditions such as anxiety, phobia or stress at work.
Both groups - those in primary and secondary care - are being signposted to mainstream life rather than to special settings as a central plank of the recovery process. The implications for any service provider - and that includes businesses - are crucial. Businesses and services are at the receiving end of mainstream.
Clients in recovery are choosing to access their personal goals through a diverse range of outlets. These could range from faith venues to volunteer bureaus, from retail outlets to sports centres, from recording studios to adult education colleges, from libraries to personal counselors, from training venues to department stores.
For businesses, it's not just one in four of their staff who may be experiencing mental health challenges, it's also one in four of their clients, customers and service consumers. Mental health challenges will also have an impact on one in three families. Disclosed or undisclosed, it's clear that mental health and well-being lie at the heart of our transactions and interactions.
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
The Business Case for Mental Health Awareness
The Business Case for Mental Health Awareness. The economic and social cost of mental health problems in the United Kingdom is well documented. In 2002/03 the economic and social cost of mental health problems in England was £77 billion. (SCMH, 2003). The economic and social cost of mental health problems is greater than that of crime and larger than the total amount spent on all NHS and social services in the UK (HM Treasury, 2005).
Dame Carol Black's 2008 report 'Working for a Healthier Tomorrow' was a major attempt to address these concerns. Legislative review such as the 2005 amendments to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) highlighted the need to address the massive economic and social attrition behind issues of mental ill-health. In 2005 the Confederation of British Industry was concerned enough to commission its own research. Stress, anxiety and depression accounted for a third of the 168 million working days lost in the UK for health and related reasons in 2004, translating to a cost of sickness absence of about £4.1 billion (Confederation of British Industry, 2005).
As a result of legislation, employees have more rights and employers more responsibilities relating to the incidence of mental health in the workplace. Employees who choose to disclose a mental health condition to their employers are strongly protected by legislation and have the right to 'reasonable adjustments' that they may request their employers to make. In practice, it is still true that people with mental health diagnoses may well feel little confidence in this legislation. Nonetheless, their rights are enshrined in law. Similarly, employers have a legal responsibility not to discriminate against employees who have disclosed a mental health condition and to make any reasonable adjustments that have been requested.
Dame Carol Black's 2008 report 'Working for a Healthier Tomorrow' was a major attempt to address these concerns. Legislative review such as the 2005 amendments to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) highlighted the need to address the massive economic and social attrition behind issues of mental ill-health. In 2005 the Confederation of British Industry was concerned enough to commission its own research. Stress, anxiety and depression accounted for a third of the 168 million working days lost in the UK for health and related reasons in 2004, translating to a cost of sickness absence of about £4.1 billion (Confederation of British Industry, 2005).
As a result of legislation, employees have more rights and employers more responsibilities relating to the incidence of mental health in the workplace. Employees who choose to disclose a mental health condition to their employers are strongly protected by legislation and have the right to 'reasonable adjustments' that they may request their employers to make. In practice, it is still true that people with mental health diagnoses may well feel little confidence in this legislation. Nonetheless, their rights are enshrined in law. Similarly, employers have a legal responsibility not to discriminate against employees who have disclosed a mental health condition and to make any reasonable adjustments that have been requested.
Employers getting down with mental health
Helping employers to understand issues around mental health is fast becoming a key component of approaches to productivity, staff happiness, improved services and profits.
It is employers, managers and directors who are taking the lead on many of the new initiatives around mental health.
Supported by business ‘dragon’ Duncan Bannatyne, Mind’s ‘Taking care of Business’ campaign highlights the initiatives being taken by employers around issues of mental health at work.
The Mind campaign underlines the message that the promotion of good mental health helps employers ‘increase productivity, improve staff performance and save thousands of pounds’.
Mind also hosts a series of follow-up programmes designed to actively encourage good mental health in the workplace.
Some of the companies who have signed up to support the Mind campaign include EDF energy, BT, Hewitt Consultancy, AXA and police and security services. James Kenrick at Hewitt Associates helped set up an Employee Assistance programme allowing staff access to counselling services where appropriate.
Hewitt also initiated a staff health audit which identified stress, anxiety and depression as ‘real issues within the organisation’. James Kenrick states that:
‘after the health audit we sourced a stress vocational rehabilitation service, which has a vocational focus and is staffed by psychologists. Employees who have been absent for 10 days or more are referred for an initial assessment, and recommended the most appropriate treatment plan. We have found that this service, along with early intervention, has greatly reduced the days lost through stress-related absence and stopped stress-related disability altogether’.
Proactive management of mental health in the workplace has allowed Hewitt Associates to save ‘nearly £400’ per employee. More importantly, as Kenrick states:
‘it's the intangible elements that are most rewarding. The feedback from staff who have been helped to recover from difficult circumstances has been exceptional’.
EDF Energy is a major electricity provider. A workplace audit showed that the company was losing around £1.4m in productivity each year as a result of mental ill health among its employees. As part of an Employee Support Programme the company offered psychological support (cognitive behavioural therapy) to employees and trained over 1,000 managers to recognise psychological ill health among staff and to minimise its effects. This resulted in an improvement in productivity which saved the organisation approximately £228,000 per year. Job satisfaction also rose from 36 to 68%
(Business in the Community, 2009).
It is employers, managers and directors who are taking the lead on many of the new initiatives around mental health.
Supported by business ‘dragon’ Duncan Bannatyne, Mind’s ‘Taking care of Business’ campaign highlights the initiatives being taken by employers around issues of mental health at work.
The Mind campaign underlines the message that the promotion of good mental health helps employers ‘increase productivity, improve staff performance and save thousands of pounds’.
Mind also hosts a series of follow-up programmes designed to actively encourage good mental health in the workplace.
Some of the companies who have signed up to support the Mind campaign include EDF energy, BT, Hewitt Consultancy, AXA and police and security services. James Kenrick at Hewitt Associates helped set up an Employee Assistance programme allowing staff access to counselling services where appropriate.
Hewitt also initiated a staff health audit which identified stress, anxiety and depression as ‘real issues within the organisation’. James Kenrick states that:
‘after the health audit we sourced a stress vocational rehabilitation service, which has a vocational focus and is staffed by psychologists. Employees who have been absent for 10 days or more are referred for an initial assessment, and recommended the most appropriate treatment plan. We have found that this service, along with early intervention, has greatly reduced the days lost through stress-related absence and stopped stress-related disability altogether’.
Proactive management of mental health in the workplace has allowed Hewitt Associates to save ‘nearly £400’ per employee. More importantly, as Kenrick states:
‘it's the intangible elements that are most rewarding. The feedback from staff who have been helped to recover from difficult circumstances has been exceptional’.
EDF Energy is a major electricity provider. A workplace audit showed that the company was losing around £1.4m in productivity each year as a result of mental ill health among its employees. As part of an Employee Support Programme the company offered psychological support (cognitive behavioural therapy) to employees and trained over 1,000 managers to recognise psychological ill health among staff and to minimise its effects. This resulted in an improvement in productivity which saved the organisation approximately £228,000 per year. Job satisfaction also rose from 36 to 68%
(Business in the Community, 2009).
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Happiness and Profits
Helping employers to understand issues around mental health is fast becoming a key component of approaches to productivity, staff happiness, improved services and profits.
It is employers, managers and directors who are taking the lead on many of the new initiatives around mental health.
Supported by business ‘dragon’ Duncan Bannatyne, Mind’s ‘Taking care of Business’ campaign highlights the initiatives being taken by many employers around issues of mental health at work.
The Mind campaign underlines the message that the promotion of good mental health helps employers ‘increase productivity, improve staff performance and save thousands of pounds’.
Mind also hosts a series of follow-up programmes designed to actively encourage good mental health in the workplace.
Some of the companies who have signed up to support the Mind campaign include EDF energy, BT, Hewitt Consultancy, AXA and police and security services. James Kenrick at Hewitt Associates helped set up an Employee Assistance programme allowing staff access to counselling services where appropriate.
Hewitt also initiated a staff health audit which identified stress, anxiety and depression as ‘real issues within the organisation’. James Kenrick states that:
‘after the health audit we sourced a stress vocational rehabilitation service, which has a vocational focus and is staffed by psychologists. Employees who have been absent for 10 days or more are referred for an initial assessment, and recommended the most appropriate treatment plan. We have found that this service, along with early intervention, has greatly reduced the days lost through stress-related absence and stopped stress-related disability altogether’.
Proactive management of mental health in the workplace has allowed Hewitt Associates to save ‘nearly £400’ per employee. More importantly, as Kenrick states:
‘it's the intangible elements that are most rewarding. The feedback from staff who have been helped to recover from difficult circumstances has been exceptional’.
EDF Energy is a major electricity provider. A workplace audit showed that the company was losing around £1.4m in productivity each year as a result of mental ill health among its employees. As part of an Employee Support Programme the company offered psychological support (cognitive behavioural therapy) to employees and trained over 1,000 managers to recognise psychological ill health among staff and to minimise its effects. This resulted in an improvement in productivity which saved the organisation approximately £228,000 per year. Job satisfaction also rose from 36 to 68%
(Business in the Community, 2009).
It is employers, managers and directors who are taking the lead on many of the new initiatives around mental health.
Supported by business ‘dragon’ Duncan Bannatyne, Mind’s ‘Taking care of Business’ campaign highlights the initiatives being taken by many employers around issues of mental health at work.
The Mind campaign underlines the message that the promotion of good mental health helps employers ‘increase productivity, improve staff performance and save thousands of pounds’.
Mind also hosts a series of follow-up programmes designed to actively encourage good mental health in the workplace.
Some of the companies who have signed up to support the Mind campaign include EDF energy, BT, Hewitt Consultancy, AXA and police and security services. James Kenrick at Hewitt Associates helped set up an Employee Assistance programme allowing staff access to counselling services where appropriate.
Hewitt also initiated a staff health audit which identified stress, anxiety and depression as ‘real issues within the organisation’. James Kenrick states that:
‘after the health audit we sourced a stress vocational rehabilitation service, which has a vocational focus and is staffed by psychologists. Employees who have been absent for 10 days or more are referred for an initial assessment, and recommended the most appropriate treatment plan. We have found that this service, along with early intervention, has greatly reduced the days lost through stress-related absence and stopped stress-related disability altogether’.
Proactive management of mental health in the workplace has allowed Hewitt Associates to save ‘nearly £400’ per employee. More importantly, as Kenrick states:
‘it's the intangible elements that are most rewarding. The feedback from staff who have been helped to recover from difficult circumstances has been exceptional’.
EDF Energy is a major electricity provider. A workplace audit showed that the company was losing around £1.4m in productivity each year as a result of mental ill health among its employees. As part of an Employee Support Programme the company offered psychological support (cognitive behavioural therapy) to employees and trained over 1,000 managers to recognise psychological ill health among staff and to minimise its effects. This resulted in an improvement in productivity which saved the organisation approximately £228,000 per year. Job satisfaction also rose from 36 to 68%
(Business in the Community, 2009).
Friday, 18 June 2010
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If you have attended a recent training, please feel free to review me.
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View our full profile in the FreeIndex Personal Development Directory directory.
Monday, 14 June 2010
Planning for Good Mental Health & Social Inclusion - testimonials
Planning for Good Mental Health & Social Inclusion
Training testimonials from NHS and Primary Care attendees
'Such a huge subject - well covered in the time allotted'.
The course has enabled me to be 'more assertive in recognising and prioritising mental health issues'. I shall 'develop a knowledge base of local services and encourage others to make appropriate referrals'.
'John is a very calm person. Used the background music to create a non-threatening, relaxed atmosphere'.
I shall 'explore in greater depths what services are available to individual clients'.
'I feel I am more aware of what to look for in myself and others'.
The course 'has made me more aware of the need to ensure people return to mainstream after illness'.
'Ideas and information given to think outside the box'.
The course reinforced 'the importance of mainstream social inclusion'.
I now have 'more awareness of organisations and can utilise the social inclusion 'web' tool in assessments.'
Training testimonials from NHS and Primary Care attendees
'Such a huge subject - well covered in the time allotted'.
The course has enabled me to be 'more assertive in recognising and prioritising mental health issues'. I shall 'develop a knowledge base of local services and encourage others to make appropriate referrals'.
'John is a very calm person. Used the background music to create a non-threatening, relaxed atmosphere'.
I shall 'explore in greater depths what services are available to individual clients'.
'I feel I am more aware of what to look for in myself and others'.
The course 'has made me more aware of the need to ensure people return to mainstream after illness'.
'Ideas and information given to think outside the box'.
The course reinforced 'the importance of mainstream social inclusion'.
I now have 'more awareness of organisations and can utilise the social inclusion 'web' tool in assessments.'
Write a Freeindex Review
If you have attended a recent training, please feel free to review me.
Freeindex listing:
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View our full profile in the FreeIndex Personal Development Directory directory.
Traditional cohorts in mental health
Service providers, staff, service users and carers are often perceived as the main groups comprising the traditional cohort of secondary mental health care provision. All this changes when mainstream practice is incorporated into care pathways.
The effect of mainstreaming is that it introduces new stakeholders into the equation. Stakeholders chosen by the client as part of his or her recovery. Person-centred practice is designed to enable the person in recovery to access activities and outlets of their own choice in the mainstream environment. These outlets can be anywhere and everywhere, depending on the client's personal goals, hopes and aspirations.
Mainstream effectively destroys the stigma attached to recovery as it is longer attached to special settings, wherever this is the individual's preferred choice.
The effect of mainstreaming is that it introduces new stakeholders into the equation. Stakeholders chosen by the client as part of his or her recovery. Person-centred practice is designed to enable the person in recovery to access activities and outlets of their own choice in the mainstream environment. These outlets can be anywhere and everywhere, depending on the client's personal goals, hopes and aspirations.
Mainstream effectively destroys the stigma attached to recovery as it is longer attached to special settings, wherever this is the individual's preferred choice.
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
Mind and Mental Health in the Workplace
Mental Health organisation Mind is getting behind mental health in the workplace and has come up with an impressive campaign 'Taking Care of Business'.
Mind Workplace also provides consultancy and training for employers on mental health, enhancing productivity by improving business practices.
'Mind Workplace will enable your company to assess how mentally healthy it is for both employees and clients and support you to make any necessary changes to ensure you are managing mental health in a way that will maximise your company's potential.
We believe in a preventative approach to mental health problems in the workplace. This involves promoting mental health awareness, reducing stigma around seeking help, helping staff develop resilience, effective sickness management and emotionally intelligent management supervision.
Building on existing good practice such as employee assistance programmes and occupational health support, Mind Workplace will help you to develop a proactive and systematic approach to promoting good mental health in the workplace.
If you would like to contact us to find out how you can improve the mental health of your business then call us on 020 8215 2365 or fill out our contact form.
Why does your company need Mind Workplace?
In the past five years, employers have cited stress as the number one reason given by employees who take time off work.
Staff absence and lost productivity due to poor mental health management have an overall annual cost to employers of nearly £26 billion [1].
Healthy and happy workplaces result in reduced absence, increased productivity and greater customer satisfaction, leading to higher profit margins.
One in four people experience mental health problems in any five year period - therefore a significant proportion of your business's employees and customers will be experiencing mental health problems at the moment.
People with mental health problems are often overlooked by interventions aimed at improving accessibility of business services to people with physical disabilities.
Most firms vastly underestimate the problem but they could make big savings with a few simple steps.
What next?
Contact us today using this form or on 020 8215 2365 to arrange a meeting'.
(From the Mind website)
Mind Workplace also provides consultancy and training for employers on mental health, enhancing productivity by improving business practices.
'Mind Workplace will enable your company to assess how mentally healthy it is for both employees and clients and support you to make any necessary changes to ensure you are managing mental health in a way that will maximise your company's potential.
We believe in a preventative approach to mental health problems in the workplace. This involves promoting mental health awareness, reducing stigma around seeking help, helping staff develop resilience, effective sickness management and emotionally intelligent management supervision.
Building on existing good practice such as employee assistance programmes and occupational health support, Mind Workplace will help you to develop a proactive and systematic approach to promoting good mental health in the workplace.
If you would like to contact us to find out how you can improve the mental health of your business then call us on 020 8215 2365 or fill out our contact form.
Why does your company need Mind Workplace?
In the past five years, employers have cited stress as the number one reason given by employees who take time off work.
Staff absence and lost productivity due to poor mental health management have an overall annual cost to employers of nearly £26 billion [1].
Healthy and happy workplaces result in reduced absence, increased productivity and greater customer satisfaction, leading to higher profit margins.
One in four people experience mental health problems in any five year period - therefore a significant proportion of your business's employees and customers will be experiencing mental health problems at the moment.
People with mental health problems are often overlooked by interventions aimed at improving accessibility of business services to people with physical disabilities.
Most firms vastly underestimate the problem but they could make big savings with a few simple steps.
What next?
Contact us today using this form or on 020 8215 2365 to arrange a meeting'.
(From the Mind website)
Friday, 4 June 2010
'Taking Care of Business' Mind campaign
Mind’s ‘Taking care of Business’ campaign highlights the initiatives being taken by many employers around issues of mental health at work.
Supported by business ‘dragon’ Duncan Bannatyne, the campaign shows that employers are becoming aware of the need to address and support good mental health in the workplace.
The Mind campaign underlines the message that the promotion of good mental health helps employers ‘increase productivity, improve staff performance and save thousands of pounds’.
Mind also hosts a series of follow-up programmes designed to actively encourage good mental health in the workplace.
Some of the companies who have signed up to support the Mind campaign include EDF energy, BT, Hewitt Consultancy, AXA and police and security services. James Kenrick at Hewitt Associates helped set up an Employee Assistance programme allowing staff access to counselling services where appropriate.
Hewitt also initiated a staff health audit which identified stress, anxiety and depression as ‘real issues within the organisation’. James Kenrick states that:
‘after the health audit we sourced a stress vocational rehabilitation service, which has a vocational focus and is staffed by psychologists. Employees who have been absent for 10 days or more are referred for an initial assessment, and recommended the most appropriate treatment plan. We have found that this service, along with early intervention, has greatly reduced the days lost through stress-related absence and stopped stress-related disability altogether’.
Proactive management of mental health in the workplace has allowed Hewitt Associates to save ‘nearly £400’ per employee. More importantly, as Kenrick states:
‘it's the intangible elements that are most rewarding. The feedback from staff who have been helped to recover from difficult circumstances has been exceptional’.
EDF Energy is a major electricity provider. A workplace audit showed that the company was losing around £1.4m in productivity each year as a result of mental ill health among its employees. As part of an Employee Support Programme the company offered psychological support (cognitive behavioural therapy) to employees and trained over 1,000 managers to recognise psychological ill health among staff and to minimise its effects. This resulted in an improvement in productivity which saved the organisation approximately £228,000 per year. Job satisfaction also rose from 36 to 68% (Business in the Community, 2009).
Supported by business ‘dragon’ Duncan Bannatyne, the campaign shows that employers are becoming aware of the need to address and support good mental health in the workplace.
The Mind campaign underlines the message that the promotion of good mental health helps employers ‘increase productivity, improve staff performance and save thousands of pounds’.
Mind also hosts a series of follow-up programmes designed to actively encourage good mental health in the workplace.
Some of the companies who have signed up to support the Mind campaign include EDF energy, BT, Hewitt Consultancy, AXA and police and security services. James Kenrick at Hewitt Associates helped set up an Employee Assistance programme allowing staff access to counselling services where appropriate.
Hewitt also initiated a staff health audit which identified stress, anxiety and depression as ‘real issues within the organisation’. James Kenrick states that:
‘after the health audit we sourced a stress vocational rehabilitation service, which has a vocational focus and is staffed by psychologists. Employees who have been absent for 10 days or more are referred for an initial assessment, and recommended the most appropriate treatment plan. We have found that this service, along with early intervention, has greatly reduced the days lost through stress-related absence and stopped stress-related disability altogether’.
Proactive management of mental health in the workplace has allowed Hewitt Associates to save ‘nearly £400’ per employee. More importantly, as Kenrick states:
‘it's the intangible elements that are most rewarding. The feedback from staff who have been helped to recover from difficult circumstances has been exceptional’.
EDF Energy is a major electricity provider. A workplace audit showed that the company was losing around £1.4m in productivity each year as a result of mental ill health among its employees. As part of an Employee Support Programme the company offered psychological support (cognitive behavioural therapy) to employees and trained over 1,000 managers to recognise psychological ill health among staff and to minimise its effects. This resulted in an improvement in productivity which saved the organisation approximately £228,000 per year. Job satisfaction also rose from 36 to 68% (Business in the Community, 2009).
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Friday, 21 May 2010
Recovery
Recovery
Recovery is a process of hope and aspiration that signals the return to mainstream life for those who have experienced mental health problems. Recovery can take place regardless of whether the individual is symptom-free or not. Hope and recovery are recognised as key parts of the care pathway. Social inclusion bridge builders work with clients on a recovery programme based on the client's own choices and aspirations.
More about Recovery and the work of Dr. Pat Deegan
Recovery is a process of hope and aspiration that signals the return to mainstream life for those who have experienced mental health problems. Recovery can take place regardless of whether the individual is symptom-free or not. Hope and recovery are recognised as key parts of the care pathway. Social inclusion bridge builders work with clients on a recovery programme based on the client's own choices and aspirations.
More about Recovery and the work of Dr. Pat Deegan
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Who should take an MHFA England course?
Who should take an MHFA England course?
Anyone can benefit from Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). It is open to members of the general public. Families affected by mental health problems, teachers, health service providers, emergency workers, frontline workers who deal with the public, volunteers, human resources professionals, employers and community groups are just a few of the groups who have benefited from MHFA.
Mental Health First Aid covers a comprehensive range of common mental health conditions and their appropriate first aid interventions. The conditions covered range from psychosis to phobia, from bi-polar to anxiety, from schizophrenia to stress at work. From this point-of-view MHFA is highly intensive, detailed and excellently put together.
It is important to bear in mind that MHFA is more than mental health awareness. A good mental health awareness course may well be a good 'Level I' for those who wish to find out more about general mental health before deciding to go on to MHFA at 'Level II'.
Anyone can benefit from Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). It is open to members of the general public. Families affected by mental health problems, teachers, health service providers, emergency workers, frontline workers who deal with the public, volunteers, human resources professionals, employers and community groups are just a few of the groups who have benefited from MHFA.
Mental Health First Aid covers a comprehensive range of common mental health conditions and their appropriate first aid interventions. The conditions covered range from psychosis to phobia, from bi-polar to anxiety, from schizophrenia to stress at work. From this point-of-view MHFA is highly intensive, detailed and excellently put together.
It is important to bear in mind that MHFA is more than mental health awareness. A good mental health awareness course may well be a good 'Level I' for those who wish to find out more about general mental health before deciding to go on to MHFA at 'Level II'.
Social Inclusion Facebook Group
Social Inclusion facebook group is now up and running. It's open to anyone interested in social inclusion, mainstream living, mental health, aspiration, goals and the arts. So welcome friends!
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Talking Therapies - are they all they're cracked up to be?
Lord Victor Adebowale, Chief Executive of the charity Turning Point, calls access to psychological therapies as 'the biggest shift in mental health provision in the last 50 years'. (Big Issue April 5th 2010). Lord Victor goes on to state that IAPT (Improved Access to Psychological Therapies) 'gives a lot of people access to psychological treatment who suffer from depression and anxiety, whose relationships may have broken down or who have housing issues. It's the first intervention in that triage, and it's a path for people to get their lives back together'.
It's great that Lord Victor feels so positive about Improved Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT). Turning Point as an organisation may well be equipped to help deliver therapies to more and more people in an increasingly effective way. It's also the case that psychological therapies are more readily available in some areas, through being delivered in community settings such as family centres and libraries.
However, for many people in the mental health system, particularly those diagnosed as having a 'severe and enduring' condition, psychological therapies can be exceptionally difficult to obtain. Firstly, the IAPT programme is only available to people in primary care who are under a GP. There is no eligibility for IAPT if you happen to be in secondary care or under a community mental health team. The reason for this is that people in secondary care are deemed to have therapeutic provision 'in-house' or within the professional team. If an individual is under section and hospitalised, he or she has the legal right to psychological therapies within 2 or 3 days of their request.
What happens in practice is often very different. A colleague desperate for therapy applied for it from his secondary care team (his legal right). Pushed from pillar to post, he finally received therapeutic treatment only through the intervention of the local MP. In the absence of a therapist being in post at the time, the treatment was delivered by the Head of Clinical Services.
It is great that charities like Turning Point are promoting greater access to psychological therapies. It is also great that therapies are being delivered in some locations through a slimmed-down faster process such as a well-being service. Nonetheless, if you happen to be someone with a 'severe and enduring' mental health diagnosis you will have no access to the IAPT programme. The accessible therapies under secondary care depend entirely on whether there is a suitable professional in post within your community mental health team. Despite rights enshrined in law, service users with a 'severe and enduring' condition are often denied psychological therapies.
It's great that Lord Victor feels so positive about Improved Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT). Turning Point as an organisation may well be equipped to help deliver therapies to more and more people in an increasingly effective way. It's also the case that psychological therapies are more readily available in some areas, through being delivered in community settings such as family centres and libraries.
However, for many people in the mental health system, particularly those diagnosed as having a 'severe and enduring' condition, psychological therapies can be exceptionally difficult to obtain. Firstly, the IAPT programme is only available to people in primary care who are under a GP. There is no eligibility for IAPT if you happen to be in secondary care or under a community mental health team. The reason for this is that people in secondary care are deemed to have therapeutic provision 'in-house' or within the professional team. If an individual is under section and hospitalised, he or she has the legal right to psychological therapies within 2 or 3 days of their request.
What happens in practice is often very different. A colleague desperate for therapy applied for it from his secondary care team (his legal right). Pushed from pillar to post, he finally received therapeutic treatment only through the intervention of the local MP. In the absence of a therapist being in post at the time, the treatment was delivered by the Head of Clinical Services.
It is great that charities like Turning Point are promoting greater access to psychological therapies. It is also great that therapies are being delivered in some locations through a slimmed-down faster process such as a well-being service. Nonetheless, if you happen to be someone with a 'severe and enduring' mental health diagnosis you will have no access to the IAPT programme. The accessible therapies under secondary care depend entirely on whether there is a suitable professional in post within your community mental health team. Despite rights enshrined in law, service users with a 'severe and enduring' condition are often denied psychological therapies.
Monday, 3 May 2010
How people with mental health conditions enrich the work environment
How people with mental health conditions enrich the work environment.
People with mental health conditions who are returning to employment or even accessing it for the first time can often make exceptional contributions to the workplace. An art tutor who understands mental illness from first-hand experience will apply non-discriminatory and more inclusive practice alongside his or her skills.
Identifying a suppressed aspiration as the cause of stress at work can lead to formidable achievement when previously hidden dreams are pursued and developed in the appropriate mainstream setting. This too creates employment or self-employment alongside increased cashflow and profits for service providers who are helping dreams to become reality.
People with mental health conditions who are returning to employment or even accessing it for the first time can often make exceptional contributions to the workplace. An art tutor who understands mental illness from first-hand experience will apply non-discriminatory and more inclusive practice alongside his or her skills.
Identifying a suppressed aspiration as the cause of stress at work can lead to formidable achievement when previously hidden dreams are pursued and developed in the appropriate mainstream setting. This too creates employment or self-employment alongside increased cashflow and profits for service providers who are helping dreams to become reality.
How businesses profit from mental health
How businesses profits from mental health.
Businesses and services are developing the understanding that informed practice around mental health benefits both service delivery and profits. Staff are happier and more productive when they know that their employers' practices and procedures do not stigmatize or discriminate against illness or experience.
Days lost to absenteeism, sickness or unproductive presenteeism decrease when employees are not anxious about being dismissed should they choose to disclose a mental health condition. The attrition of unexplained job resignations or sudden departures decreases when taboos around mental health are dismantled by enlightened policies and staff trainings.
Business and services profit from individuals who are being signposted to mainstream as part of their recovery plans. Mainstream social inclusion takes place in any outlet where a recovering individual feels he or she can prioritise a personal goal. Venues such as education and training centres, sports facilities, colleges, recording studios, voluntary organisations and arts groups are benefiting substantially and financially from motivated people accessing mainstream. Where individuals are not paying all the costs themselves, there may well be contributions from schemes such as direct payments or from built-in concessions and offers. The increased business generated by mainstream social inclusion is considerable.
Businesses and services are developing the understanding that informed practice around mental health benefits both service delivery and profits. Staff are happier and more productive when they know that their employers' practices and procedures do not stigmatize or discriminate against illness or experience.
Days lost to absenteeism, sickness or unproductive presenteeism decrease when employees are not anxious about being dismissed should they choose to disclose a mental health condition. The attrition of unexplained job resignations or sudden departures decreases when taboos around mental health are dismantled by enlightened policies and staff trainings.
Business and services profit from individuals who are being signposted to mainstream as part of their recovery plans. Mainstream social inclusion takes place in any outlet where a recovering individual feels he or she can prioritise a personal goal. Venues such as education and training centres, sports facilities, colleges, recording studios, voluntary organisations and arts groups are benefiting substantially and financially from motivated people accessing mainstream. Where individuals are not paying all the costs themselves, there may well be contributions from schemes such as direct payments or from built-in concessions and offers. The increased business generated by mainstream social inclusion is considerable.
Social Inclusion - why it makes sense for businesses
The business case for mental health awareness is evidenced by the increasing numbers of employers who are commissioning mental health awareness trainings for their workforce. Employers want trainings which enable their staff to understand more about common mental health conditions. Understanding mental health means that staff can work better with clients and customers. It also allows staff to feel less isolated about personal issues around health and well-being.
Mental health awareness provides the opportunity for employers and employees to find out more about the law as it relates to employment and mental health.
Enlightened employers will seek to develop a workforce team which is happy rather than unhappy, fulfilled rather than excluded. Courses such as MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) show that attendees often feel that one of the benefits of the training in that it allows for a safe space. A safe space where individuals can share feelings about their personal well-being in addition to learning about the broader aspects of mental health conditions and the appropriate interventions.
In addition to mental health, it makes solid sense for businesses to incorporate awareness of social inclusion and mainstream. Returning to or accessing mainstream living is now a key part of the care pathway for those diagnosed with 'severe and enduring' mental health diagnoses. It is equally important for people who may be experiencing conditions such as anxiety, phobia or stress at work.
Both groups - those in primary and secondary care - are being signposted to mainstream life rather than to special settings as a central plank of the recovery process. The implications for any service provider - and that includes businesses - are crucial. Businesses and services are at the receiving end of mainstream.
Clients in recovery are choosing to access their personal goals through a diverse range of outlets. These could range from faith venues to volunteer bureaus, from retail outlets to sports centres, from recording studios to adult education colleges, from libraries to personal counselors, from training venues to department stores.
For businesses, it's not just one in four of their staff who may be experiencing mental health challenges, it's also one in four of their clients, customers and service consumers. Mental health challenges will also have an impact on one in three families. Disclosed or undisclosed, it's clear that mental health and well-being lie at the heart of our transactions and interactions.
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