Research and EvaluationDementia Self-Help ProjectSurvivor Research is involved in providing a process evaluation of a project to set up self-help and peer support groups for people with dementia in extra care homes. Mental Health Foundation is coordinating the formation, facilitation and evaluation of this work in partnership with Housing 21. Jayasree and Michelle are leading on interviews with the facilitator, staff at the care homes and the people participating in the peer support groups as part of the process evaluation. The report of this work is expected to be published in April 2014. Your Experience in MindSurvivor Research (Jayasree Kalathil, Dorothy Gould and Alison Faulkner) undertook a project to design and pilot a methodology, questions and process to evaluate the experience of using Local Mind Associations based on the views of people who use their services. The project was commissioned by Mind and the focus was to explore "the extent to which local Mind services support and encourage people on a journey towards recovery whilst recognising that recovery continues to be a complex concept." 543 people from 18 local Mind services took part in the study. Peer Support in Mental HealthThere is a renewed acknowledgement of the role of peer support in mental health with new government policies calling for the appointment of peer support workers within mental health services. While this is a welcome move, there is also a danger that the values and ethos of peer support, based as it is in self-determination, reciprocity, empathy and shared experience, might be lost given its professionalisation, especially in the context of decreasing resources within the NHS. Alison Faulkner and Jayasree Kalathil were commissioned by the mental health charity Together to explore the views of mental health service users and peer support services on these new developments, and would need to be focused on in order to preserve the values and ethos of peer support and self-help.The report 'The Freedom to be, the Chance to Dream' was published by Together in 2013. Black Women, Recovery and Resilience
Dancing to Our Own TunesThis work, commissioned by the National Survivor User Network (NSUN) in collaboration with Catch-a-Fiya, explored what user involvement means for service users/survivors from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) backgrounds. Research in the field suggests that there is an "under-representation" of service users from BME backgrounds in user involvement initiatives. What have been some of the experiences of BME service users/survivors of “being involved” in mainstream user groups and in policy-driven involvement initiatives? Does involvement constitute positive change in the way in which people from BME communities experience mental health services? The report, Dancing to Our Own Tunes, was launched on 24th March 2009. Following the report, a charter and guidelines for partnership working in BME mental health user involvement was produced. A review of the work was undertaken in 2011. Jayasree is currently working with NSUN to take the recommendations forward, including mapping BME user-led work across England. Download the third reprint of the report. Evaluating the Implementation of the Mental Health Act AmendmentsThe National Institute of Mental Health in England (NIMHE) and the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) - currently reshaped as the National Mental Health Development Unit (NMHDU) - led the implementation of the 2007 amendments to the Mental Health Act (1983). The Mental Health Foundation was commissioned to conduct an evaluation of this work. Survivor Research undertook the evaluation, collecting feedback from a range of stakeholders including regional and Trust-level implementation team members, frontline staff, service users, carers, CAMHS staff, and social workers.The report was submitted to NMHDU in September 2009. Personal Health Budgets in Mental HealthThis project aims to collect service user and carer views about personal health budgets (PHBs) in mental health. PHB is a new area of policy development. Through this project we hope to find out what people's views are about the usefulness of PHBs, what support, help and information people will need to makes use of this, and what some of the hopes and anxieties are about PHBs and personalisation in general.
Mental Health Needs of Irish Women in BirminghamMichelle Bhalroo worked as one of the community researchers on this project looking at the mental health needs and awareness of Irish women in Birmingham. The report, Éirim Mná, co-written by Catherine Horn, Mary Jones, Michelle Bhalroo and Bernadette McFall, contributes to filling a significant gap in knowledge about Irish women's needs and makes recommendations for providing culturally appropriate services for them.Download a copy of the report here. Engaging with Black and Minority Ethnic Communities about the Mental Capacity Act
Mapping User-Controlled Research in Health and Social Care
Evaluation of the Testimony ProjectMental Health Media’s Testimony Project aimed to increase understanding of and challenge attitudes towards mental health using the testimonies of survivors of mental asylums. The project used a series of exhibitions, with short films, art work, and installations, around the country to promote its messages. The evaluation used an action research methodology that allowed responses from viewers to be incorporated in developing the next stages of the project. Watch the testimonies, films and other elements of the exhibitions at www.insidestories.org. |