Policy Update

2009 will be a significant year for mental health policy in England - The government's ten-year plan - the National Service Framework (NSF) for Mental Health - will come to an end, signaling a new era. Important policy choices must be made to ensure both that its achievements are built upon and its shortcomings tackled.

We agree that the underlying aims of future mental health policy must be to:

This will not be easy to achieve, since attitudes have been ingrained over many decades of use, and because medical models of mental health problems have long dominated the debate about the appropriate focus for policy. However, we suggest ways in which we think the vision can be realized.

For the full vision, read the launch press release and the paper below.

Download a New Vision for Mental Health discussion paper (504 KB)

National Institute for Mental Health in England Suicide Prevention Programme - Annual report on progress 2007
http://www.nimhe.csip.org.uk/our-work/suicide-prevention/annual-report-on-progress-2007.html?keywords=suicide

Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services Review - Updated . This page gives information on the review of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services, which looks at how well services are meeting the educational, health and social needs of children and young people at risk of, and experiencing, mental health problems.

CSCI today published the second of its three equality and diversity good practice bulletins, Providing Appropriate Services for Black and Minority Ethnic People, which aims to help care providers address the new agenda set out in the joint protocol Putting People First.

Click here for further details
http://www.csci.gov.uk/about_us/press_releases/black_and_minority_ethnic.aspx

NHS confederation Briefing

Working with survivors of sex abuse (167KBpdf*)

Policy Update

[MHAandMCA] Mental Health Act 1983 Code of Practice for Wales

Now at:
http://www.davesheppard.co.uk/access/pdf_files/Code2008Wales.pdf
http://www.davesheppard.co.uk/access/pdf_files/Code2008WalesCons.pdf

Mental Health Act 2007: report on the consultation exercises on the draft revised Code of Practice and secondary legislation

This report covers the consultation exercises conducted from 24 October 2007 to 24 January 2008 on the draft revised Code of Practice to the Mental Health Act 1983 and on the secondary legislation to be made in the light of the Mental Health Act 2007. It details the process, analyses the responses received and explains which comments were accepted and which discarded and why.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Responsestoconsultations/DH_084607

 

Mental Health Promotion Update

Please find link below for the July edition of the NIMHE Mental Health Promotion Update. This issue focuses on mental health promotion activity which supports the national suicide prevention strategy. Hard copies have been put in the post.

NIMHE is part of the Care Services Improvement Partnership:
www.csip.org.uk

http://www.nimhe.csip.org.uk/mhpromotionnewsletter

National Dementia Strategy Consultation – your chance to contribute:

Moo Ling Boey, Professional Affairs Officer at the COT is seeking your help to comment on the draft strategy to contribute to the College's response. The deadline for returning your comments to her is: 5pm, 25th August 2008.
Unfortunately, this document is only available as a download despite the description that there are also hard copies.
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_085569

Policy Update

Attitudes to mental illness 2008 research report

Since March 1993, the Department of Health has placed a set of questions on TNS’s Face-to-Face Consumer Omnibus about public attitudes towards mental illness. From 1993 to 1997 the questions were asked on an annual basis and then every third year up until 2003. Since 2007 the survey has again been carried out annually. The surveys serve as a benchmark, enabling measurement of whether attitudes are improving or worsening over time.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_084478

 

In the red: debt and mental health

Leading mental health charity Mind today publishes a shocking new report that shows that debt is a significant factor in worsening our mental health. As the credit crunch hits and the cost of living soars, this worrying new evidence shows the extent of debt's impact, with over 50 per cent of respondents going without food and heating.
http://www.mind.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B8ACA0C3-C16C-45DE-886D-84F0745A1C9D/0/Mw08reportWeb.pdf

 

Experiences of children and young people caring for a parent with a mental health problem

This briefing focuses on the experiences of children and young people under 18 years of age who are caring for a parent or parents defined as having mental health problems. This publication is of use to any frontline workers or managers of both children's and adults' services, policy makers and Commissioners.

SCIE Research briefing 24: Experiences of children and young people caring for a parent with a mental health problem

 

Contact details

Artem Gromov
The College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section - Mental Health
106-114 Borough High Street
London SE1 1LB

Email: ssmembership.administration@cot.co.uk
Tel: 020 7450 5477