Listen Up - Social Welfare Portal

listenup!92 | Case Study 2Case Study 2:Experience in Mind, Mind inBrighton and Hove, and Hove YMCAMission statementsExperience in Mind is a partnership project betweenMind in Brighton and Hove, and Hove YMCA“Mind in Brighton and Hove seeks to empower andsupport people who have experience of mental distress.”“Hove YMCA is a Christian charity that offers allyoung people, their families and communities anopportunity to develop mentally, physically andspiritually. We seek in particular to enable those whoare disadvantaged to reach their full potential.”Overview of the serviceMind in Brighton and Hove worked in partnershipwith Hove YMCA on the Experience in Mind project,to respond to some of the key needs identified inthe first stage of consultation with young people inYouth Crisis I. Mind in Brighton and Hove broughtexpertise in mental health and Hove YMCA expertisein working with young people.The Experience in Mind project was designed togive young people with experience of mental healthdifficulties a voice in shaping the services available tothem. This included giving their input in the strategicdevelopment of these services, as well as providingspecialist training to a range of professionals workingwith young people. The aim was to improve theresponsiveness and effectiveness of mental healthservices for young people by helping professionalsto understand young people’s needs better, and bychallenging stereotypes about young people andmental health.A training pack was developed as part of the project,based on young people’s views and experiences.Each young person shared their experiences in aone-to-one meeting with the project co-ordinator,and then the young people met in groups todevelop the training material.Young people who wanted to deliver the trainingcould then take a Level 2 Open College Network(OCN) accredited course, ‘Training throughExperience’, to learn the necessary skills. Thiseight-week course was divided into five modules:group work skills; self development; mental healthdifficulties; training skills; and young people’s issues.At the time of going to press, this course had beenrun twice.The project was funded by the Mental HealthFoundation, the Tudor Trust and Brighton andHove Equal.Service development work carried out as part ofthe Mental Health Foundation projectThe funding that was given by the Mental HealthFoundation contributed towards the setting-up andrunning of the project. It also allowed the service toconsider broadening its target audience. Originally, ithad been felt that clinical-based professionals werethe target audience, but in 2006, due to the successof the pilot, this was broadened to include otherprofessionals: teachers, police officers, GP surgeryreception staff, youth workers, Connexions’ personaladvisors, drug workers and social workers.Catchment areaAll young people who are part of the project havelived in Brighton and Hove and have used statutorymental health services.