Frequent trigger by widespread expertise
‘Psychological well being in an unequal world’, this yr’s World Mental Health Day theme, is one I imagine all psychological well being social work colleagues can relate to.
We work alongside folks, their households and carers who discover themselves in various levels of misery, and infrequently disaster, to try in the direction of reaching optimistic outcomes, defending rights and finally making a optimistic distinction.
Latest months have emphasised how necessary the psychological well being social work position has been, notably within the midst of an unequal world.
I be part of the Chief Social Employee for Adults’ Workplace at a time when the Division for Well being and Social Care is working at full pelt on a variety of important coverage programmes lots of which relate on to the psychological well being social work agenda within the post-COVID restoration part.
The Mental Health Act reforms present an distinctive alternative for psychological well being social work voices to be heard and to construct on a legislative framework primarily based on ideas of selection and autonomy. Meaning least restriction, therapeutic profit and seeing the individual as a person – every of which resonate with the social work occupation.
Powerful, testing and reworking occasions
Having skilled greater than 20 years of my social work profession in psychological well being social care, I can say, with some confidence, I’ve by no means skilled an analogous time period the place my work as a public servant has been so demanding, intense and exhausting.
That stated, it has additionally been massively rewarding, dynamic and valued. We’ve got witnessed the tentacles of this nationwide disaster attain throughout all issues grownup social care and have wanted to train an agility and stamina to ensure persons are not excluded and their rights to make selections are revered.
The psychological impression of the pandemic means many extra persons are prone to want assist for his or her psychological well being within the months and years forward. This is a crucial second for the psychological well being social work occupation to take inventory, reaffirm skilled management within the discipline, and stand alongside folks experiencing stigma, under-representation and discrimination, to make a optimistic distinction.
