Rethink Mental Illness Manchester Group

One of our group members, Irene Harris, is going to lead presentation at our meeting on Wednesday 13 th July . Its subject is how people who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia want to be treated by other people and how the recovery approach can improve the lives of people with psychosis.  It’s about love, hope, the right treatment and support and what we can all do to help. It’s mainly in DVD form with people, service users & carers, speaking for themselves. The presentation will follow with an open discussion so we can share our thoughts. Come and join us from 6 – 7:45pm at Manchester Carers Centre . A ‘walking bus’ leaves from by the taxi rank at Manchester Piccadilly station at 5:30pm.

Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust is supporting a major piece of research at the moment looking at medications adherence/recovery etc. As part of this work they are very keen to involve service users and carers and are looking at this time for expressions of interest from service users to become involved as peer researchers to test out levels of service user satisfaction around specific medications. This would be a really exciting opportunity, and no particular skills or experience is necessary other than an interest in research and a commitment to engaging with other service users as part of the programme. For more information or to register contact: Patrick Cahoon, Associate Director - Service User and Carer Engagement Chorlton House 70 Manchester Road Chorlton-cum-Hardy Manchester M21 9UN Tel: 0161 882 1103 patrick.cahoon@mhsc.nhs.uk

25 people attended our Recovery Information Evening last month. We heard from two great speakers - Susan Holden from Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust on how recovery is being implemented in the Trust and from Ben Crouch from The Roby in Longsight about their progress over the past year on providing recovery-based services to the local community. Attendees discussed what recovery means both from a service user and carer perspective and how carers need the right information and support in order to play a positive role in supporting their loved ones to recover. Susan has since passed on information about WRAPs (Wellness Recovery Action Plans). They were first developed by Mary Ellen Copeland . According to Susan, Copeland markets a particular format which tends to uses ‘service’ language. Others have adapted and produced different types of personal support plans. Ben has also been in touch about the emotional needs of carers. The Roby offer a counselling service - referrals can be taken ...

Next Wednesday, 12th May, we're holding an information evening to explore different perspectives on recovery and how people can recovery - and be supported to recover - from a mental illness. We're delighted to have speakers from The Roby and from Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust talk about the work they are doing to support the process of recovery. Meet and socialise with other people who are affected by mental illness, either personally or through a caring or family connection. Everyone welcome – food and drink will be provided. Wednesday 12th May 2010 5:30pm – 7pm Followed by our AGM 7pm – 8pm (all welcome) Manchester Carers Centre Beswick House, Beswick Row Manchester, M4 4PR For more information call Manchester Carers Centre on 0161 835 4090 or email Mary Rayner on maryrayner@hotmail.com . The event is part of our 'Wish List' campaign. We have four wishes for improving services in Manchester...promoting recovery, making services users and carers central to the imp...

Recovery is on our Mental Health Wish List for 2010 and is a topic that seemed to generate a lot of conversation and excitement at our Mistletoe and Mental Health event a couple of weeks ago. Going through my email inbox, which I'm a bit behind on, I found an email from Rethink sent in November with news of a new report on recovery. ' Getting back into the world: reflections on lived experiences of recovery ', is what it says - a compilation of interviews with 48 people across England who have personal experience of mental illness. What's really interesting - and positive - about the report is that the interviews, analysis and write up were also done by people who have personal experience of mental illness. I've not had a chance to have a proper read but a quick glance shows that it will be an inspiring, thought provoking and useful report for anyone with an interest in recovery in mental illness.