Blogging for Peer Mentors blog post - Tacking Talk event 29th July

I created a blog as part of a course on Blogging for Peer Mentors -

My story - https://spark.adobe.com/page/eX7mfdRQq4cXM/ - BLOGGING WORKSHOP JULY 18TH 2017 - From Community Learning course blogging for Peer Mentors


Also this is an interesting event, a barbecue, with football, and bouncy castle, BBC Points West will be there - 

Tackling Talk: Raising awareness of male suicide through sport-help us to start breaking the mould - Free - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tackling-talk-raising-awareness-of-male-suicide-through-sport-help-us-to-start-breaking-the-mould-tickets-35591404850?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=estw&utm-source=tw&utm-term=listing @EventbriteUK

Emotional Wellbeing in the Workplace Conference 27th March 2017

I attended the event Emotional Wellbeing in the Workplace event at Bristol City Hall 27th March morning - Bristol Anti Stigma Alliance BASA, Wellbeans

I Spoke to Talking Money at this Emotional Wellbeing in the Workplace Bristol event, who told me of Money Advice West, which identifies the closest advisers geographically.

Stalls at Emotional Wellbeing in the Workplace were - Unison, Wellbeing Art, Inner Engineering, Wellbeans/Bristol Anti Stigma Alliance BASA, SARI Stand Against Racism & Inequality, Money Advice West/Talking Money, HSBC, Happy City Bristol, Bristol Mind, Nuffield Health & Wellbeing Gyms.

The event began welcome from Liz Andrews, Sue Ollis - Wellbeans. I attended to help out and because of my lived experience of mental health issues and Aspergers/Autism.Next there was a talk about Bristol Anti Stigma Alliance (BASA), Wellspring Healthy Living, and Time To Change. This was followed by talks by Bristol Mental Health Employment Service, then on Mental Health and Policing. Next was a talk on  a manager's perspective for workplace wellbeing by South Gloucestershire Council.

There were several tables for open dialogue free discussion - I was at table 5 - How we support staff to meet with discrimination and how people respond. Discussions were summarised for pulling together in the coming days.

After the open dialogue discussions there was a talk on Disability Manifesto - Bristol Disability Equality Forum. Something that resonated with me was that Neural Diverse people are often problem solvers and an asset to any team, as are disabled people in general as they become problem solvers to get out and about. Next was Key Speaker Adam Spreadbury co chair Bank of England's Mental Health Network I discussed these issues with both speakers after the event finished and people networked.

The closing speech was given by Becky Pollard Director for Public Health Bristol.

Emotional Wellbeing in the Workplace Conference - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/emotional-wellbeing-in-the-workplace-tickets-32202212685 - WellBeans Initiative - Bristol Social Peer Network- Free, 27 March #brizzlebuzz

Wellbeans - http://wellbeansinitiative.co.uk/ - Mental and Physical Wellbeing - We are a social peer network, based in Bristol, UK #brizzlebuzz

Wellbeans Mingle and Jingle December 3rd 2016

Cabot Circus, Saturday December 3rd

I was a volunteer at an event to speak to the public about mental health to raise awareness, and reduce stigma and discrimination. Wellbeans Mingle and Jingle December 3rd 10am-4pm. This was run by Bristol Anti Stigma Alliance,  this fun day had a magician, 2 face painters, and free hugs

We recorded 372 conversations! The magician was great and the face painting was a hit as always! Sue's "Free Hug" board went a storm and we engaged with some really lovely people. We also gave out sweets, and other goodies, and information about our campaigns, and about mental and physical health services and groups.

 Liz and Sue

left to right Dave, Sue, Liz, Me, and Mary at front

Second Step London trip- Homelessness

I'm a peer mentor who travelled with Second Step to London. Places we visited that day were; Homeless Link http://www.homeless.org.uk/, The Passage http://passage.org.uk/ and Providence Row http://www.providencerow.org.uk/ (the last two places being Homelessness Resource Centres).

The aim of the visit was to learn from others about how they have used the Psychological Informed Environment (PIE) model to improve situations for people who are homeless. The PIE approach is to help ensure decisions and environment are suitable for the people who use them. Second Step staff and volunteers are being trained in this approach.

I like the attitude of these providers who involve people so much in the services they provide. We need services to remember that homeless people are not a problem. That the problem is homelessness itself, and everything that causes it and worsens it. I saw this in action in these places.

Second Step - Welcome to the first Newsletter of 2017! http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=7f4ec07e293d1a9729cf10c9b&id=6d7e30b834&e=cb27c1dc81

Spotlight on - Volunteer Services Steering Group. - UP Project Goes Travelling! United Peer Project

Welcome to Second Step News - the newsletter for staff, volunteers and people who use our services - http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=7f4ec07e293d1a9729cf10c9b&id=0c96f99522&e=a4b664e76b

Notes on Mental Health Service User Involvement – How Tos

Not everyone wants to be involved at all levels of participation. Focus Groups and Surveys can help people be involved.

A Ladder of Citizen Participation - Sherry R Arnstein - http://lithgow-schmidt.dk/sherry-arnstein/ladder-of-citizen-participation.html

There is a need for payment for time to ensure people have enough to live on. Combining this with assistance to find good advocacy to assist with work and benefit rules. Without payment numbers and range of people will be limited, limiting views and hindering equalities.

Need for equalising between regions of NHS AWP but not by levelling down, it's OK for some regions to be ahead.

Service Users should be contacted about involvement unless they opt out, giving everyone an opportunity to be included. This also helps with equalities and diversity, and with numbers and range of opinions

NHS HITs (Health Integration Teams) are another good model e.g. -

The Psychosis Health Integration Team - http://www.bristolhealthpartners.org.uk/health-integration-teams/psychosis/ - working together to improve the lives of people with psychosis in Bristol

Links between mental health service providers and service user and carer involvement and NHS and Universities PPI (Patient and Public Involvement) are important, including both participation and training.

Encouraging local groups - Mentoring but not running the groups. Mentoring should involve arranging rooms, food and drink, and admin assistance with expenses forms and rules.

Links with participants in all providers general and specific are needed.

Good payment and proactive signposting to advocacy can help service users and carers with their problems of being on low incomes, this is a very common problem, and worsens mental health.

BBC News - Mental health and debt problems: 'A marriage made in hell' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35721477

Guidance for Involvement

Bath Service User Charter, good to ask about this?

4PI involvement standards - National Survivor User Network - http://www.nsun.org.uk/assets/downloadableFiles/4pi.-ni-standards-for-web.pdf

BBC- NHS should welcome 'citizen whistleblowers' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30333071 - Healthwatch England-Why NHS should listen to 'citizen whistleblowers'

Mental health service users should help shape support services - https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2014/apr/09/mental-health-service-users-shape-services?CMP=twt_gu - handbook offers guidance to Healthwatch organisations

Time to Change Campaigning has helped Peter Hale gain a sense of fulfilment and achievement

Bristol Anti Stigma Alliance (BASA)

A few years ago I went through a challenging time as I lost my job, my marriage ended and I
experienced housing problems. All of this led to me being diagnosed with anxiety and
Depression. Soon after this I became involved in the Time to Change Campaign, and have been involved ever since.

As part of my physical and mental recovery I started playing football and walking with Bristol
Active Life Project (BALP) and still enjoy playing football for the BALP team to this day. I also
accessed the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Service through what is now the
Wellbeing Therapy Services.

I’ve been a Service User/Lived Experience Representative with Bristol Independent Mental
Health Network (BIMHN) since the organisation was set up in early 2015. BIMHN and Wellbeans promote Time to Change locally. I As well as this I’m a Representative for Rethink, a Time to Change campaigner, and a Peer Mentor with Second Step.  So I'm involved in mental health awareness as a service user rep, and as a campaigner. These roles give me a sense of fulfilment and achievement. This involvement such as for Time to Change has given me many opportunities to take part in free training, such as speaking out, media, organising Time to Change events, peer mentoring, mental health first aid, and suicide prevention, which I’ve found really useful.

I volunteered for Time To Change at Cabot Circus shopping centre for World Mental Health week October 8th 2016, where we spoke to 397 people about mental health in a successful event. I also spoke about my experiences of exercise and Mental Health at a World Mental Health Day MIND conference about exercise and mental health, at Exeter City's St James Park ground on World Mental Health Day October 10th. I was also at the Bristol PRIDE Festival earlier this year, and have campaigned at these events- St Pauls Carnival, Bristol Harbour Festival, other events at shopping centres, supermarkets, leisure centre, and ran a stall at Cabot Circus as part of the Blue Monday event January 2016, run by Pennywise to assist people with Winter blues and money issues.

Recently, I’ve also been diagnosed with high functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome.
Asperger’s isn’t an illness but a difference in thinking, perception and senses. I’ve been accessing
social groups for people with these conditions. This helps me to socialise, deal with benefits,
volunteering and work issues, and understand my own and non-autistic people's communication needs. I'm now involved with service user activities and research into autism as well as into mental health issues. All this has helped me prevent re-occurrences of the crises I’ve experienced in the past and encouraged me to focus on the present and future. I now have a well-balanced life that consists of rewarding activities that keep me physically and mentally fit.

Bristol Mental Health - Case study - Service user involvement has helped Peter Hale gain a sense of fulfilment and achievement

Bristol Mental Health - Case study - Service user involvement has helped Peter Hale gain a sense of fulfilment and achievement -  http://bristolmentalhealth.org/media/828903/peter-hale.pdf

Case study
Service user involvement has helped Peter Hale gain a sense of fulfilment and
achievement.

A few years ago I went through a challenging time as I lost my job, my marriage ended and I
experienced housing problems. All of this led to me being diagnosed with anxiety and
depression.
As part of my physical and mental recovery I started playing football and walking with Bristol
Active Life Project (BALP) and still enjoy playing football for the BALP team to this day. I also
accessed the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Service through what is now the
Wellbeing Therapy Services. This was a great help to me too.
Since my diagnosis I’ve become really involved in helping to shape mental health services in
Bristol and ensuring that service users are involved in this. My first experience of service user
involvement was through Healthwatch, and I’m now also involved with Bristol Mental Health
(BMH) and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP). For example, I’m
part of the Joining the Dots Care Planning Project and am helping shape AWP’s service user
strategy.
I’ve been a Service User/Lived Experience Representative with Bristol Independent Mental
Health Network since the organisation was set up in early 2015. In this role I attend lots of
meetings, many of which are with BMH, to share my experience and knowledge of mental health
services in order to help them be the best they can be. As well as this I’m a Representative for
Rethink, a Time to Change campaigner, a Peer Mentor with Second Step and a lot more
besides! All these roles give me a sense of fulfilment and achievement. These roles have also
given me many opportunities to take part in free training, such as peer mentoring, mental health
first aid, and suicide prevention, which I’ve found really useful.
I have a PhD in Computing and I use many of the skills I developed from this as a service user on AWP’s research committee and in my involvement in research and development projects
through this. AWP’s Research and Development Team carry out research about preventing,
treating and managing mental health problems, dementia and addictions the findings of which
are used in clinical practice.
Recently, I’ve also been diagnosed with high functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome.
Asperger’s isn’t an illness but a difference in thinking, perception and senses. I think in a
systematic way, communicate differently, get distressed by chaotic environments and badly
managed change, and don't pick up on nuance and body language well. I’ve been accessing
social groups for people with these conditions. This helps me to socialise, deal with benefits,
volunteering and work issues, and understand my own and non-autistic people's
communication needs.
Asperger’s is an advantage for the type of work and volunteering I do but for many social
situations it can be a disadvantage. I have different triggers for anxiety and a resilience to
many stresses that other people experience. I'm now involved with service user activities and
research into autism as well as into mental health issues. All this has helped me prevent reoccurrences of the crises I’ve experienced in the past and encouraged me to focus on the
present and future. I now have a well-balanced life that consists of rewarding activities that
keep me physically and mentally fit.