UserQ Crisis Event

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Who:

UserQ / Lewes Mind

Subject:

Evaluation of the Home Treatment / Crisis Resolution Services.

Date:

1st December 2006

Place:

T&G Union Centre (Transport & General Workers Union)
Eastbourne
East Sussex.

Programme:

10:00-10:30
Arrive and Register.

10:30-11:00
Welcome and thank you to everybody participating in the days events.

Introduction to the purpose of the day.

Seperate around one of the facilitator tables. Feel free to move around throughout the day. Each table will be working on the same material, so you won't be missing anything if you decide to stay put!

11:00-11:20
"Before a Crisis" facilitated focus group considering questions such as; How can you recognise that you are about to have a crisis? What can trigger a crisis? What support do you need if you feel that you are about to have a crisis?

11:20-11:40
"Living a Crisis" facilitated focus group considering questions such as; What happens during a crisis? What are the risks involved during a crisis? What support do you need in a crisis? Are there any positive aspects in a crisis? When is a crisis over?

11:40-12:00
"Post Crisis" facilitated focus group considering questions such as; What happens after a crisis? What are the risks involved after a crisis? What support do you need after a crisis?

12:00-12:20
"Crisis Avoidance" facilitated focus group considering questions such as What can be learnt from a crisis? How can a crisis be avoided In the future? What support do you need to avoid a crisis?

12:20-13:30
Lunch Break, During which a free lunch will be available

13:30-15:00
Advance Directives, Feel free to stay on and discuss advance directives and crisis planning

Note: For those who do not know, an advance directive is, its a list of instructions about how you would like to be treated if you get taken into a hospital due to mental health problems. The idea is that often when you are taken in you may not be thinking clearly enough to remember what worked or did not work last time, also you may have pets at home that you might not think about at the time. Doctors do not have to listen to the requests, but the information can be helpful to you and them. Its a bit like the medic alert necklaces some people wear, so if you are taken into hospital unconscious and you are a diabetic, have serious allergies or something like that, then they know what they can and can't do to you - Dean

15:00
Wind down sessions with counsellors and massage therapy.

My thoughts on the day:

Although the day itself was quite good, the outcome was a complete let down for most of the people involved. Many people talked about their experiences, which for some was a very traumatic thing to do. Doing that is worth it if something good comes out of it, but despite the huge amount of work put in by a few of the UserQ staff (myself included), the report into the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment teams was never finished! Would I like to comment more on why people were put through all that for nothing? Yes, I would love too, but I know it would not help anybody, so for now I will drop it - Dean