Stewart Harding, Information & Communications Officer, Diverse Cymru; John Davies, Hafal RCT Practice Leader; Jennifer Thomas, Wales Mental Health Network; Suzanne Duval, Director of Operations Diverse Cymru at today's Lights! event in Aberaman
As I write the legendary VW Microbus is parked up, along with the more ephemeral but equally impressive Mobile Studio, bang in the middle of the Valleys this afternoon - in my own old stamping ground of Aberaman to be precise.
We are there as part of our summer-long Lights! Camera! ACTION! campaign providing an opportunity for users and carers from Rhondda Cynon Taf to tell us through film blogs (and more informally) about their experience of the Mental Health Measure and Wales' new mental health strategy "Together For Mental Health".
See a film of the event including an excellent explanation by RCT service user Gerwyn Jones of the therapeutic value for participants of engaging with Time to Change Wales (nice cross-over of campaigns there! It's a great bonus of our anti-stigma work that it also assists participating clients with their recovery).
A good point about the accessibility of services is made by another RCT service user Ioan Bevan here. For some clients a more passive appointments-based engagement by CMHTs may be appropriate but other clients, including many who require higher levels of support, need a more assertive approach including home visits (and I don't just mean crisis teams).
I think the lesson from Ioan's observation is that the specific method of engagement, not just the level of engagement, needs to be set out in Care and Treatment Plans - and this will vary between clients.
To see all the films and news of the campaign follow this link.
