Post on 20-Apr-2022
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Director’s Message
Mental Health, Learning
Disability and Community
Wellbeing Newsletter
It appears Spring has now finally arrived and I am delighted, as I am sure you all are, to see Winter finally passing. As ever there’s been lots going on in the Division over the past months a flavour of which is reflected in this edition of our Newsletter. Those of you who work in the wards at Holywell will have noticed many visitors in suits coming and going. This is because we are trying to make the case that our business case for a new mental health in-patient unit should be a regional priority for capital expenditure. I am hoping that following our efforts our patients, their carers and our staff will get the accommodation that they both need and deserve. I have over the last year placed a particular focus on the level of absence in the Division. This reflects a concern with the impact that this has on service users through lack of continuity of care and on other team members through increased workloads. The approach has focused both on the more effective and creative support of staff through the absence policy coupled with a focus on staff well-being. There is much going on over the coming months including our Regional Dementia Conference, the ‘Bridges’ Gala event in the Braid Centre, Ballymena, accreditation visits for our Brain Injury Service, accreditation peer review visit to Ballymoney CMHT and the launch of the RAID service evaluation. The range of these events in a few short months demonstrate the breadth of work undertaken and the innovation and creativity of staff working across our service areas. I would like to thank you all for your hard work and professionalism in support of service users and their carers and wish you all a great summer.
Oscar Donnelly
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CONTENTS
Page 1 Director’s Message
Page 2 Contents
Page 3 Mental Health Older People Virtual Dementia Experience – Bus
Page 4 The Northern Trust’s ME/CFS Programme
Page 5 Staff Health and Wellbeing
Page 6 Innovative Developments in Addiction Services
Page 7 Innovative Developments in Addiction Services / Leading the Way in Community Mental Health Nursing Career Pathways
Page 8 Sandra Crowe is awarded “200 HOURS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE”
Page 9 Jonathan scores a goal achieving life ambition to be involved with Coleraine Football Club
Page 10 NHSCT is a host employer for Job Seekers with a disability on International “Job Shadow Day” April 25th 2018
Page 11 Day Opportunities Service IQI Team of the Month – April 2018
Page 12 ‘Healthy’ Opportunities for Farm Families in the Northern Trust area
Page 13 Arts Based Activities / Focus on the Farm Family
Page 14 BBC Countryfile
Page 15-16 Mandatory Training / Information Governance
Page 17 Using Art to Aid Recovery
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During November 2017 to February 2018, an
innovative training opportunity to increase
understanding of dementia among Northern
Health and Social Care Trust staff was brought
to 5 geographical locations within the Trust
(Antrim, Ballymena, Coleraine, Magherafelt,
and Newtownabbey). The purpose of this was
to support the NHSCT to deliver virtual
dementia training to a wide range of health and
social care staff caring for people with
dementia.
Through the Delivering Social Change
Dementia Project, Mental Health Older People
service secured funding to bring the Virtual
Experience Dementia bus from Experience
Training Ltd in England.
(Mae O’Callaghan, MHOP and Leslie Gillan, Alzheimer’s Society)
In excess of 720 frontline staff from Mental
Health Older People, Learning Disability,
Acute, Domiciliary Care, Residential, Day
Care, Permanent Placement staff alongside
staff from community partners attended.
Stepping aboard the bus, staff had opportunity
to participate in a sensory experience, which
imitated some of the difficulties people with
dementia may face. The aim of the training
was to promote greater understanding and
awareness of dementia to thus enhance the
quality of care delivered by staff.
Oscar Donnelly, Divisional Director of
Mental Health, Learning Disability and
Community Wellbeing, for the NHSCT
commented: “I’m delighted we have
been able to partner with Experience
Training Ltd to bring this to our staff.
By undertaking this experience, we can
begin to empathise with the challenges
found living with dementia and in
consequence we can improve the care
we deliver to persons with dementia.”
Maureen Serplus Head of Service explained: “The Virtual Dementia Experience provided a
unique opportunity for Trust staff and some partners to gain a greater insight into what it may be
like to live with dementia. Although many staff have experience of working with people with
dementia, and have attended training, feedback and evaluation has shown that it was entirely
different to actually experience the condition in the virtual experience and that the experience
has increased staff understanding of dementia.”
Mental Health
Older People
Virtual Dementia
Experience – Bus
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Medical researchers are striving to fully understand ME/CFS in order to be able to identify an effective treatment. However, there is much that can be done to support an individual who has been diagnosed with ME/CFS. The Northern Trust’s ME/CFS programme draws on the work of Sue Pemberton, Occupational Therapist who designed the original programme in 1994. The programme aims to help individuals find the best way to self-manage their condition:
It helps individuals understand more about the condition and how to deal with day-to-day activities.
It provides information on pacing, resting, stress management, activity management and appropriate exercise.
It helps individuals find a way to manage day-to-day living, stabilise activity and then gradually increase activity as symptoms reduce.
It is currently delivered in a group setting which lasts 8 weeks, with a 3 month follow up.
There have been a total of 150 referrals to the programme to date and outcomes reflect improvement in symptoms, frequency and quality of life.
ME/CFS is a condition which medical science is continuing to decipher. This means that healthcare professionals are left being unclear as to how best to treat it. This hasn’t been helped by the fact that, at one stage, ME/CFS was labelled as a psychiatric condition. Nowadays, it is widely recognised that ME/CFS is a physiological condition which is multi-systemic – affecting the immune, neurological and endocrine systems in the body.
For further information contact: Lorraine Henry 028 2563 5250 lorraineU.henry @northerntrust.hscni.net Lorraine Henry Occupational Therapist Julie-Ann Adams ME/CFS volunteer
The Northern Trust’s ME/CFS
Programme
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The NHSCT Steering Group and associated
subgroups are working to contribute to an
improvement in the health and wellbeing of our
staff. Staff Wellbeing is a key priority within the
Northern Trust. To support this aim, a network
of Staff Health and Wellbeing Champions is
being built up across the entire geography of
the Trust. These champions have an interest
in promoting health and wellbeing and
encouraging this message amongst colleagues
in their work areas. To date there are more
than 30 champions registered, many of whom
have taken forward a number of exciting
initiatives within their work areas such as
Pilates, couch to 5k, 5-a-side football and
raising awareness of regional health
campaigns.
This is a voluntary role open to all staff. You
will need approval from your line manager to
become a Health and Well-Being Champion.
The role provides an opportunity for champions
to organise, develop or promote health and
well-being events within their own team,
service group or the wider organisation.
(Staff who attended a 6 week circuits class in Ballymoney)
If you are interested or would
like further information on
this please contact
lorraine.mcpeake@
northerntrust.hscni.net
Staff Health and
Wellbeing
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Innovative
Developments
in Addiction
Services Recovery Coaching
Recovery Coaching is an initiative that was introduced to the Community Addictions Service in 2015 and is the first of its kind in NI. It is to the CAS team’s credit being led by our Senior Addictions Practitioner Aileen Purvis that we have our third cohort of recovery coaches about to start their course this year. Our second cohort completed their studies and practice development last autumn and we have three new recovery coaches who graduated with a level 3 LMN award in coaching that we will be awarding their certificates at a celebration ceremony on Tuesday 8th May 2018. Recovery coaches are volunteers who are in stable recovery from alcohol and/or drug dependence and have undertaken a theoretical + practical training programme to develop coaching skills to support current service users of the Addiction Service. The recovery coach also has ongoing support from one of our Addiction Practitioners which is vital to the overall successful collaborative partnership of recovery coaching which embraces the strategic vision of PPI in coproduction/co-delivery of services by strengthening support that is available to individuals striving to change their lives and recover from alcohol and drug dependency.
The Benzodiazepine Initiative
The Benzodiazepine Initiative is a partnership
between primary care, community pharmacy
and the trust that has a dedicated pharmacist
and a specialist addictions nurse from the
Community Addiction Service working together
to reduce the harm caused by
benzodiazepines and the ‘Z’ drugs that are
prescribed in a non-efficacious way. This
initiative has developed a system whereby a
GP practice will ‘sign up’ to a programme with
the Benzodiazepine Initiative to identify
patients on their list who are being prescribed
benzodiazepines outside of the recommended
guidelines. A specialist nurse and pharmacist
will then work with the practice to introduce
tailored reduction programmes that are aimed
at improving outcomes for patients. Our Senior
Addictions Nurse Sharon Wright provides
guidance and support to patients who
experience difficulties with their gradual
reduction and psychological interventions to
support patients with regards to anxiety sleep
etc. The initiative has been in operation for
approximately one year and is currently being
evaluated however initial findings have shown
considerable reductions in benzodiazepine
prescribing and improved health and wellbeing
for patients. Stakeholders of the initiative have
also reported significant benefits of having a
specialist resource in the Senior Addictions
Nurse and Pharmacist to help guide best
practice in this area in primary care.
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Regional In-Patient Addiction Service
Sister Rose McGuckien and Dr Billy Gregg
who are the dynamic clinical leadership team
leading Carrick 1 Addictions Unit in Holywell
Hospital to develop into one of three regional
in-patient (Tier A) Addiction Units with Shimna
House in Downpatrick and Asha House in
Omagh being the other two. This regional
service has been fully operational for more
than a year and it is encouraging to see the
regional collaboration between the 3 units
further strengthen a coordinated care pathway
between community addiction services and in-
patient addiction units in the efficient and
effective utilisation of this important limited
resource.
Under the direction of our Divisional Nurse,
Kathy Goumas an expert advisory group of
senior mental health nurses (Heather
McCarroll, Frances Dundee, Clare Downey,
Nuala OGara, Helen Gault and Wendy Moore)
and Claire McGuigan Nursing Practice
Education Manager was established to
introduce an ‘Accelerated Year in Practice’
(AYiP) career pathway for newly registered
mental health nurses. The rationale behind this
development is in response to the changing
context in which the needs of people who use
mental health services are met as
approximately 90% of mental health nursing
care is now provided in the community.
Traditionally new registrants were
required to have a minimum of one
years’ experience before they
could work in a community mental
health team and this meant that a
newly registered mental health
nurse who wished to develop their
career in the community setting
were not able to pursue this.
The advisory team developed a
‘Skills Passport’ to guide skills
development for the new
registrant in their first year
along with their designated
preceptor. Additional support
has also been made available to
preceptors and new registrants
through the Education and
Practice Development Nurse
resource within the division. On
successful completion of the
Skills Passport the community
mental health nurse progresses
from a Band 5 to a Band 6. To
date one recruitment drive has
been undertaken and a second
is currently in progress.
Innovative
Developments in
Addiction
Services
Leading the Way
in Community
Mental Health
Nursing Career
Pathways
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Sandra Crowe has been with the Northern
Trust’s Day Opportunities Programme from
2008 following the closure of Broadway
Workshop in Newtownabbey. Sandra is a
young lady who enjoys being part of her local
community, and giving her time to help others.
In July 2010 Sandra began volunteering in the
Action Cancer Charity Shop in Carrickfergus,
with the support of her Day Opportunities
Coordinator Sarah Mildenhall. Sandra
completes various tasks within her role as
volunteer, and during this time has grown in
confidence when working with and
communicating with colleagues and members
of the public.
Such was Sandra’s commitment to the role that
her supervisor recommended her for a
‘volunteering award’ through Action Cancer,
and on the 27th February Sandra and her
parents were invited to Titanic Quarter for a
Gala meal and was presented with an Award
for “200 HOURS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE”
as part of the organisations MILLENNUM
VOLUNTEERS scheme.
This was a great honour for Sandra and her
family, with Sandra’s parent’s Ivan and Sylvia
stating “Sandra fully commits herself to any
project and volunteering is no exception” they
said. “It is hard to believe some ten years have
passed, but delighted that her service with
Action Cancer has been recognised. We are
honoured that Shirley, Manager of the
Carrickfergus branch, nominated Sandra for
this 200 hours award of excellence”.
Sandra Crowe is
awarded
“200 HOURS
AWARD OF
EXCELLENCE”
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Jonathan transitioned from special education
into the Day Opportunities Service in 2012 and
the realisation and coordination of community-
based day services for this young Coleraine
man was allocated to me in my role as one of
the Day Opportunities Coordinators, Coleraine.
My role was to create a package of community-
based day opportunities within Jonathan’s local
community and aligned to his referral and
assessed need and Care Plan as provided
through the Adult Community Learning
Disability Team; in keeping with his life goals;
interests and ambitions.
Jonathan has a busy and active schedule
within our Day Opportunities provision. He is
currently engaged in further and higher
education at his local Coleraine campus of the
Northern Regional College; he is engaged with
the Day Opportunities Partnership organisation
Triangle in vocational training activities in his
town and is involved with Special Olympics
Basketball one evening per week.
However it is his passion for sports and
especially football and particularly his interest
in Coleraine Football Club which spurred me
on to liaise with this sporting body to consider
any opportunity for inclusion for Jonathan
within its structures.
Accordingly in addition to his busy week
Jonathan now volunteers with Coleraine
Football Club one morning per week at their
sports shop facility on site at the Club’s
grounds and plans are in progress for him to
become involved in the grounds maintenance
within his Club. I have been overwhelmed with
the support offered to Jonathan by Coleraine
FC. Jonathan’s mother expressed to me that
this was a “Dream come true” for her son
and Jonathan himself said this was the “best
Christmas present ever!” when I informed
them of this opportunity last December.
Jonathan is looking forward to the Irish Cup
Final scheduled for May 5th where for the
second year running, along with huge crowds
from Coleraine (including myself); he will be
supporting his team playing against Cliftonville
at Windsor Park.
Sunita Nethery (Day Opportunities Coordinator;
Day Opportunities Program)
“Come on the
Bannsiders”!!
Jonathan scores
a goal achieving
life ambition to be
involved with
Coleraine
Football Club
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This year Northern Ireland will participate for
the first time in this initiative with France;
Germany; Greece; Luxembourg; Netherlands;
Portugal; Scotland; South of Ireland and
Slovenia. Launched at Disability Action on 26th February
it is being taken forward through the Northern
Ireland Union of Supported Employment
(NIUSE). As an international concept it was
launched at the first World Conference on
Supported Employment held in Belfast last
year of which NHSCT’s Day Opportunities
Programme participated and hosted places for
its partnership organisations engaged in
vocational day opportunities for adults with a
learning disability.
As a model “Supported Employment” aims to
PLACE-TRAIN-MAINTAIN & PROGRESS
individuals with disabilities into paid
employment. In this inaugural year for NI, the
NHSCT has signed up to host work sample
opportunities in the vocational areas of
catering; administration and housekeeping
across its facility-based day services provisions
spread over a 10 week period. 25 Job Seekers
with a learning disability across the Trust had
been identified through the NIUSE supported
employment membership organisations/
providers and job sample sites were matched
aligned to individual vocational pathways and
geography with support provided through the
supported employment organisations and the
Northern Trust’s Day Opportunities
Programme.
For Employers: This initiative will promote and
encourage an inclusive workplace; create
access to a pool of potential employees; learn
and understand more about “positive actions”
regarding targeting and recruiting people with
disabilities; promoting participation in the
initiative in local and national media coverage
For Job Seekers: This initiative will provide an
insight into a particular job or a career area;
learn more about job requirements and
employers expectations; learn more about
opportunities in their community and how to
access support from specialist services.
For the Supported Employment Organisations:
This initiative will enable networking and
meeting of new employers; promote the
Supported Employment model and services
and gain an insight into a particular job/career
area.
Left to Right: Rodger Connor (NHSCT facility based day services host sites), Norman Sterritt (Triangle; one of the Partnership Supported Employment Organisations and Chair of NIUSE), Alison Irwin (NHSCT Equality Unit), Garth Anderson (NHSCT Day Opportunities Service) and Isabel Kidd (NHSCT facility based day services host sites)
Garth Anderson (Head of Service for the Day Opportunities Program) hopes this will be an initiative to build upon and an opportunity to engage with HR and across the Divisions in consideration of further vocational opportunities for people with disabilities.
Alison Irwin (Head of Equality in the Equality Unit) commented “Job Shadow Day is all about highlighting the valuable contribution people with disabilities can and do make at work and providing the Trust with an opportunity to express its commitment to inclusion in the workplace”.
NHSCT is a host employer for Job Seekers with a disability on
International “Job Shadow Day”
April 25th
2018
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The team worked in partnership with the Mid Ulster Volunteer Centre and a group of Service Users with a learning disability from the Antrim, Cookstown and Magherafelt area. The True Colours project was designed to develop new opportunities that have not previously been available for adults with learning disabilities, thereby combating social isolation and promoting individual progression.
For Service Users their self-confidence and self-esteem grew with 7 now travelling independently on Ulster Bus and having the opportunity to create new friendships and relationships with others and to be socially included with in their own communities. The project promoted creative, technical and team working skills and made best use of resources and improved foundations for better physical, emotional and mental health. The very positive impact on Trust staffing/team was the most dramatic in terms of team building and positive team spirit.
Garth Anderson (Head of Service) was so impressed with the positive impact of this initiative with the Mid-Ulster Day Opportunities Team that he has engaged with two of the partnership organisations in contract through the Day Opportunities Programme (Kilcreggan Homes in Carrickfergus and Compass Advocacy Network in Ballymoney) to work with CMAC to provide this across 7 further Base (“Drop-In”) facilities across the Trust this year.
The project aim was to promote awareness of good mental health by addressing issues around mental and emotional wellbeing of adults with learning disabilities. Thirty five beneficiaries with a learning disability were involved in the project.
The Chief Executive’s IQI Team of the Month award is presented bi-monthly to a team who have demonstrated positive impact from a quality improvement, working with staff and service users in the delivery of same. For April the NHSCT Day Opportunities Service (Magherafelt, Cookstown and Antrim) were the award winners led by Anne Marie O’Kane.
Day Opportunities
Service
IQI Team of the
Month – April
2018
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Pictured below – the Rural, Older and Active
Men’s Group at Titanic
Social
Prescribing
Model
During the summer of 2017, Dr Brian Hunter
GP from Cullybackey Medical Centre worked
alongside Yvonne Carson and Nicola Arbuckle
under a social prescribing model to bring
together older rural men in an effort to broaden
their horizons and at the same time promote
physical activity. Five trips to places of interest
took place and these included, Greenmount
College, the Ulster Folk and Transport
Museum, Corries Farm, Newtownards,
Patterson’s Spade Mill and Titanic. The trips
were well attended and thoroughly enjoyed by
all. As a result the group, known as the ‘Rural,
Older and Active Men’s Group’ agreed they
wanted to continue meeting socially as a
group, which they now do once a month near
Glarryford. One man commented “I look
forward to coming every month. There’s
nothing out there for men and it’s good to get
away from the farm for a while.”
The Health and Wellbeing Team have
recently been working on a number of
initiatives for farm families with a
range of partner organisations. These
have been important outlets for the
farming community given the poor
weather conditions of 2017 and the
impact this has had on farmers’
health and wellbeing.
‘Healthy’
Opportunities for
Farm Families in
the Northern
Trust area
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Meanwhile in Larne, Arts Care, an organisation
which seeks to promote the benefits of art and
creativity to wellbeing, has also been working
in partnership with the Northern Trust. A group
of farmers from the Larne UFU group
previously engaged in last year’s ‘Focus on the
Farm Family’ programme have been meeting
in Larne Market Yard over a four month period
to produce a booklet around local farming life
in years gone past and a creative art piece.
In Armoy, the fourth ‘Focus on the Farm Family’ programme has successfully taken place where farm families come together at lunch time over a six month period to learn more about health wellbeing and safety issues. Once again the Northern Trust has linked up with Ulster Farmers Union and a range of other stakeholders including Rural Support, HSENI, Cancer Focus and the Farm Families Health Check Programme to bring this informative programme to local farm families.
Yvonne Carson from Northern Health and Social Care Trust commented “All these activities have been a positive experience for everyone involved and have been of benefit to so many local farm families. They have also provided the opportunity for farm families to come together socially which is very important in rural areas."
The Focus on
the Farm Family
group in Armoy
pictured with
guest speaker
David Lowe
from HSENI
Arts Based
Activities in
Larne
Focus on the
Farm Family
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On 29th April, Countryfile featured an issue
raised by a Northern Trust service user through
our Sexual Health Services. BBC Countryfile
became interested when they heard about the
intense challenges facing farmers around the
area of sexual orientation, and the moving
story of our Service User and the collaborative
work now being taken forward as a result of his
story and that of others.
Health and Wellbeing Team members
Geraldine McDonnell and Sharon Bingham
who work closely with Sexual Health Services
Lead Nurse Claire Galloway have partnered
with Queen’s University and others from
the voluntary and community sector to look at
attitudes towards sexual orientation in relation
to male farmers, the implications for traditional
farming succession, impact on mental
wellbeing, social support and identity.
Price (2012) and a report by Rural Support NI (2017)
note, farming men only weakly acknowledge their
mental health within a culture dominated by ideas of
self-sufficiency and independence. The fear of stigma
in accessing support in rural communities is further
stymied by fear of lack of privacy as highlighted by the
‘Outstanding in the Field’ report (O’Doherty,
2017). Whilst this work is at an early stage, the support
from Academia, voluntary Providers and indeed
farming stalwarts such as Countryfile suggest there is
a will and energy to address this issue so that farmers
are not experiencing the isolation and challenges
currently faced by our service user.
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IG Awareness Training
POPI Training
ICT Security Training
As a division we are expected to meet targets >>>> So if you haven’t completed your training yet you know what to do! (NB: only managers are expected to complete POPI training; this means they do not need to do IG Awareness training)
How do I complete this training? Staffnet- E-Learning Portal
Who needs to complete what training?
IG Awareness Training Everyone excluding managers
POPI Training All Managers
ICT Security Training All relevant staff
How often do these courses need to be refreshed? EVERY 3 YEARS
Mandatory
Training
MH, LD & CWB Division IG Training Compliance as at 31st March 2018
MH, LD & CWB Division POPI Training Compliance as at 31st March 2018
MH, LD & CWB Division ICT Security Compliance as at 31st March 2018
TARGETS
90%
90%
100%
MHLDCW COMPLIANCE REPORT
89% Qtr. 4
79% Qtr. 4
65% Qtr. 4
90%
90%
100%
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Information Governance Packs have been created and Spot Checks have been carried out by Paul McCabe, Sandra Doherty, Louise Christie, Sharon Wilson, Ciara Robb and Jacqui McNeilly. So far there has been 49 spot checks completed across the division.
These spot check packs include a checklist addressing the following areas:
Security of Client Records
Confidential Waste
Postage Internal, Redirecting Post and External Post
Clients notes transfer (manual, internal, external)
Reporting an incident
Training
Multifunctional Devices
The pack also includes guidance on: How to report an incident
Keeping a clear desk
Locking keyboard
Opening 7zip files
Postage requirements
Diary/message books disposal schedule
Sending files securely via email
Keeping information confidential
Information
Governance
Information Asset Owners trained
Information Asset Administrators trained
Assistant Information Asset Administrators
69%
89%
95%
As part of the divisional IG action plan
roles have been identified to help
implement and support the Information
Risk Management work programme within
the Division. These roles require training
and the majority of staff identified have
received this training (see %s below).
Information Assets Identified
RIsk Assessments completed
Data Flow Maps created
Work on-going throughout the Division to
identify further Information Assets.
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Julie’s Artwork (Service User - Ballymoney CMHT)
I have always found Art very therapeutic and
relaxing. I find it aids in distracting me from
negative thinking styles and low mood.
The Community Bridge Builder informed me of
the ACOMHS art competition and at first I was
reluctant to enter as my artwork is very
personal to me. Art gives me the chance to
express how I am feeling and transfer that onto
paper, so for other people to see this I found it
quite frightening.
I did however face my fear
and send off a piece of
artwork. The art piece itself
had taken me a full 5 days
to complete. I included a lot
of colour as I feel like it
makes everything bright
again.
Artwork gives me a purpose
to my day and provides me
with small goals to finish the
piece, with a sense of pride
when it’s finished. It has
also enabled me to make
friendships with likeminded
people by attending local
arts groups.
Julie
Dunbar
Using Art to Aid
Recovery
I was ecstatic to hear
that I had won the
Competition. It made
me feel more confident
in my ability to draw
and to share my
artwork with others.
Produced by Lindsey Smyth and Heather McCarroll