The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

Ryan, Peter

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0684

Ryan, Peter

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0684

Collier, Ronald ; Stickley, Theodore

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0685

This paper reports on the development of an educational programme of work that is a collaboration between nursing educationalists and service users. Attention is given to the philosophical dimension of the work. The project is considered in the light of four related components that formed the basis of the enterprise, namely: philosophy, organisation, research and teaching (PORT). The perceptions of those who have participated in the project are commented upon. It is argued that in order to achieve social and mediation change within this educational setting, evidence of the mutual acceptance and understanding of difference has to be present. This can establish common ground between philosophical approaches. These approaches emerge from practice, from how people interact with each other, and not the other way around.

Ronald Collier; Theodore Stickley

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0685

This paper reports on the development of an educational programme of work that is a collaboration between nursing educationalists and service users. Attention is given to the philosophical dimension of the work. The project is considered in the light of four related components that formed the basis of the enterprise, namely: philosophy, organisation, research and teaching (PORT). The perceptions of those who have participated in the project are commented upon. It is argued that in order to achieve social and mediation change within this educational setting, evidence of the mutual acceptance and understanding of difference has to be present. This can establish common ground between philosophical approaches. These approaches emerge from practice, from how people interact with each other, and not the other way around.

Nambiar-Greenwood, Gayatri

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0686

When a student chooses a career, they already have views/stereotypes about what that role constitutes. This also applies to students who choose a career in any health profession. This theoretical paper likens mental health to a threshold concept within interprofessional learning and, with it, the act of engaging in learning together as 'troublesome knowledge', which challenges their originally held notion of what it is to be a health professional both positively and negatively. It is felt that, although the development of professional identity remains progressively evolutionary through one's career, this paper intends to consider the journey of ‘troublesome knowledge’ for the health professional student appreciating mental health within interprofessional learning as a necessary challenge, in order to rediscover the true meaning of being a health professional. Challenging the previously held assumptions of the health professional students and their professional acquisition of knowledge about their chosen career and understanding of mental health is not only important to develop their skills within a varied team, but vital to the centrality of the patient.

Gayatri Nambiar‐Greenwood

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0686

When a student chooses a career, they already have views/stereotypes about what that role constitutes. This also applies to students who choose a career in any health profession. This theoretical paper likens mental health to a threshold concept within interprofessional learning and, with it, the act of engaging in learning together as 'troublesome knowledge', which challenges their originally held notion of what it is to be a health professional both positively and negatively. It is felt that, although the development of professional identity remains progressively evolutionary through one's career, this paper intends to consider the journey of ‘troublesome knowledge’ for the health professional student appreciating mental health within interprofessional learning as a necessary challenge, in order to rediscover the true meaning of being a health professional. Challenging the previously held assumptions of the health professional students and their professional acquisition of knowledge about their chosen career and understanding of mental health is not only important to develop their skills within a varied team, but vital to the centrality of the patient.

Kelly, Mike ; Galvin, Kate

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0687

Psychosocial interventions (PSI) have been recognised as an important and valuable treatment for individuals with a serious mental health problem and their families. Over the past decade, PSI has gained national recognition through training courses such as the Thorn programme. However, despite NHS provider organisations investing time and money in the training of mental health practitioners in Thorn-based PSI, implementing this training in practice has been inconsistent and difficult. Current literature focuses mainly on the efficacy of Thorn-trained practitioners and on their attempts at transferring skills into practice. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a cross-educational practice meeting in assisting Thorn graduates to implement PSI into clinical practice. Fifteen participants from a specialist mental health trust (including eight Thorn graduates) who participated in this type of meeting were interviewed. Six core themes were identified: framework for implementation; organisational drivers; Thorn graduates' position; service achievements; reforms to the process and threats to implementation. These themes indicate that a cross-educational practice meeting can be a valuable framework for assisting Thorn graduates in implementing a range of PSI in clinical practice. This type of meeting can also make an impact on the culture of an organisation through facilitating change towards evidence-based psychosocial practice.

Mike Kelly; Kate Galvin

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0687

Psychosocial interventions (PSI) have been recognised as an important and valuable treatment for individuals with a serious mental health problem and their families. Over the past decade, PSI has gained national recognition through training courses such as the Thorn programme. However, despite NHS provider organisations investing time and money in the training of mental health practitioners in Thorn‐based PSI, implementing this training in practice has been inconsistent and difficult. Current literature focuses mainly on the efficacy of Thorn‐trained practitioners and on their attempts at transferring skills into practice. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a cross‐educational practice meeting in assisting Thorn graduates to implement PSI into clinical practice. Fifteen participants from a specialist mental health trust (including eight Thorn graduates) who participated in this type of meeting were interviewed. Six core themes were identified: framework for implementation; organisational drivers; Thorn graduates' position; service achievements; reforms to the process and threats to implementation. These themes indicate that a cross‐educational practice meeting can be a valuable framework for assisting Thorn graduates in implementing a range of PSI in clinical practice. This type of meeting can also make an impact on the culture of an organisation through facilitating change towards evidence‐based psychosocial practice.

Malcolm Kinney; Elaine Aspinwall‐Roberts

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0688

In social work education there is often felt to be a disjunction between what students learn in college and what they need to know in practice ‐ the gap between the ‘hard high ground’ of academia and the ‘swampy lowlands’ of practice (Schön, 2003). This paper will demonstrate how an approach borrowed from theatre in education was successfully used to fill this gap and enhance teaching and learning across years two and three of a BA social work course. The paper explores the use of role play techniques utilising a ‘teacher in role’ and ‘mantle of the expert’ (Heathcote & Bolton, 1996) approach to enable students to synthesise theory, practice and skills in a classroom setting.

Kinney, Malcolm ; Aspinwall-Roberts, Elaine

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0688

In social work education there is often felt to be a disjunction between what students learn in college and what they need to know in practice - the gap between the ‘ hard high ground ’ of academia and the ‘ swampy lowlands ’ of practice (Schön, 2003). This paper will demonstrate how an approach borrowed from theatre in education was successfully used to fill this gap and enhance teaching and learning across years two and three of a BA social work course. The paper explores the use of role play techniques utilising a ‘ teacher in role ’ and ‘ mantle of the expert ’ (Heathcote & Bolton, 1996) approach to enable students to synthesise theory, practice and skills in a classroom setting.

Ian Evans; John Fitzgerald; Averil Herbert; Shane Harvey

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0689

Training clinical child psychologists necessitates explicit attention to the importance of developing cultural competencies for practice in diverse communities. This case study, comprising relevant social history, cultural models of child psychopathology and conceptual analysis of complex systems in bicultural Aotearoa New Zealand, offers salutary lessons for clinical practice internationally. In New Zealand, indigenous perspectives on children's mental health needs are holistic, encouraging trainee practitioners to recognise the systemic influences of extended family, school and community. Accommodating the expectations, values, and hegemony of both Māori and European populations requires service providers to acknowledge a broad interpretation of evidence‐based practice. In terms of true scientific progress, future best practice will require a rapprochement between the traditional knowledge of indigenous cultures and the empirically‐derived insights of psychology as an international discipline. The imperative to share power in decision‐making moves the debate beyond conventional multicultural sensitivities. Moral and political issues are inextricably entwined with clinical and professional activities.

Evans, Ian M; Fitzgerald, John M; Herbert, Averil AML; Harvey, Shane T

2010 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

doi: 10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0689

Training clinical child psychologists necessitates explicit attention to the importance of developing cultural competencies for practice in diverse communities. This case study, comprising relevant social history, cultural models of child psychopathology and conceptual analysis of complex systems in bicultural Aotearoa New Zealand, offers salutary lessons for clinical practice internationally. In New Zealand, indigenous perspectives on children's mental health needs are holistic, encouraging trainee practitioners to recognise the systemic influences of extended family, school and community. Accommodating the expectations, values, and hegemony of both Māori and European populations requires service providers to acknowledge a broad interpretation of evidence-based practice. In terms of true scientific progress, future best practice will require a rapprochement between the traditional knowledge of indigenous cultures and the empirically-derived insights of psychology as an international discipline. The imperative to share power in decision-making moves the debate beyond conventional multicultural sensitivities. Moral and political issues are inextricably entwined with clinical and professional activities.