Mental health advocacy
Support ‘without strings attached’
We were contacted by DS who was sectioned in a psychiatric hospital. He found it difficult to engage with the mental health professionals due to a lack of confidence and worries that they were not on his side and wanted someone at meetings who would be ‘on his side’ and help him contribute to the decisions that were being made about him. He really wanted to be discharged and have some control over what happens in his future.
Working with an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) meant that DS knew what was happening to him whilst he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. The IMHA ensured he understood what his rights were. We supported his request to have one-to-one meetings with his Responsible Clinician rather than attend group meetings which he found difficult. Gaining DS’s trust took time but an effective working relationship with his IMHA was established and he was happy that the support he received came ‘without strings attached’.
DS was discharged from the psychiatric hospital and has made a successful transition into the community.
