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This
advocacy project was launched October 2003. Funding was given
for 3 years from the Community Fund and two full time advocacy
workers were employed to set up and establish the service.
The 6 Mental Health resource Centres are located in the local
communities and provide a service to adults between 17 and 65 with
mental health problems.
Service users can engage in treatment programmes to suit their needs
and with support from the professionals based at each centre help
them to remain in their own homes through their periods of mental
health difficulties.
Each Mental Health resource centre also has an 8 bedded unit for
people who may be experiencing difficulties which require in-patient
care but do not require the support of the
Harplands
“Acute” Psychiatric hospital. Service users who
have had an admission to the
Harplands
may also be
transferred to the bedded units before returning home.
As other local voluntary organisations operate activities at each
resource centre such as North Staffs Users Group and ‘Changes’
it is a wonderful opportunity for Asist to provide an advocacy
service for the service users accessing these centres.
How does it work?
Each resource centre has at least one drop-in advocacy
session a week where anyone using the services at the centres can
access the advocate to assist them with whatever their concern
maybe. Advocacy issues may range from issues at the centre to
external stresses.
The advocates are able to attend both out-patient appointments at
each centre and also Dr’s reviews /CPA’s for those who are
accessing the bedded unit as well as liaising with other
professionals on behalf of the service users.
Service users are able to self refer easily or staff at the
centres may also do this. Having an advocate accessible
at each resource centre means that anyone in need of support is not placed on a waiting list for this service.
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