Better Mental Health in a Bigger Society? New thinkpiece published by Mental Health Providers Forum with Social Spider CIC
Posted 05.12.11 by Comms@MHPF
Within a financial climate that poses some of the greatest challenges being faced by care providers, are we at risk of destroying any potential for the community innovation that could make real mental health care reforms a reality?
Better Mental Health in a Bigger Society? the new thinkpiece published by Mental Health Providers Forum with Social Spider CIC ask this as it looks at the mental health care landscape, and explores the overlaps between Big Society ideas and the care reforms that many people with mental health difficulties have long argued for.
Better Mental Health in a Bigger Society? written by Mark Brown and David Floyd of Social Spider CIC, gives an insight into innovative mental health projects that are already transforming what the mental health care landscape can look like if (and when) people and communities can be enabled to take forward their own visions of mental health and wellbeing.
The publications gives an overview of some of the approaches that have already started to transform the expectations and outcomes placed on services, whilst:
- suggesting ways in which the NHS, local authorities and new health and wellbeing boards can support the development of a strong and diverse mental health landscape
- exploring ideas such as co-production, peer services, personalisation, user-led organisations, and other community-based activities that put people with mental health difficulties at the heart of their own recovery
- challenging the tendency for discussions about mental health to focus solely on traditional mental health services
Better Mental Health in a Bigger Society? highlights that by supporting the development of community groups, local charities and social enterprises either directly or via other bodies, the public sector has already been laying the foundations for people with mental health difficulties to make things happen for themselves away from state services.
The key question is how we continue to turn these wider aspirations of what mental health care can look like to what is does look like, even against the backdrop of these pressing times.