#PsychologicalProfessionsWeek 2021
Today marks the beginning of #PsychologicalProfessionsWeek in 2021!
From the 15 – 19 November, we celebrate the contribution that the psychological profession makes to the care of service users and the support of our colleagues. During this week, the second national conference of the Psychological Professions Network will be taking place, you can register here.
We would like to share some stories from across our Trust footprint in recognition of the work of all of our colleagues in the psychological profession.
More than just lying on the sofa – Trafford Early Intervention Team
Psychologists and therapists in Trafford’s Early Intervention Team think outside the box to reach young people and their families. Dr Rory Allott, Clinical Psychologist, supports young people who find it difficult to leave their house to engage in weekly boxing sessions run by a specialist personal trainer.
“The weekly boxing sessions give me motivation for the rest of the week. They inspired me to get back into the gym to work on my health and fitness.”
- Young person using the Trafford Early Intervention Team Service
Kirsty Dosa, a Psychological Therapist in Trafford, is delivering family therapy to families from black and minority ethnic groups as part of a research project CaFI: https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/cafi/.
Despite COVID restrictions over the last year, Dr Helen Morey continued to provide a ground-breaking new therapy over video calls to prevent young people experiencing psychosis from attempting suicide CARMS: https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/carms/.
Along with Dr Clare Sharkey, Clinical Psychologist, we partnered with a group of religious leaders to deliver a programme focussed on spirituality and mental health.
“It felt so accepting to talk about my spiritual beliefs, without fear of being told I was mad.”
- Client from Trafford Early Intervention Team
Memory specialists working together to make a difference - Manchester Older Adult Services
When Memory Specialist Nurse Maxine Grant from Manchester Older Adult Services noticed that the cognitive screen she was using with her service users from a Somali background didn’t seem to be effective, she decided to do something about it. Working with her Psychology colleagues, Sophie Jeffery and Louise Mohan, alongside Somali link worker Amina Syed and a local group of Somali elders, they developed a ground-breaking cognitive screen which takes account of the cultural, as well as the linguistic needs, of Older Adults from a Somali background. Supported by Assistant Psychologist, Nasra Mohamoud, they are preparing to start a research project to trial the new screen with local Somali people in Manchester.
The Post Incident Debriefing Service (PIDS)
The Post Incident Debriefing Service (PIDS) is an organisational intervention to support the health and wellbeing of GMMH staff in recognition of the emotional impact of the roles that staff provide. The service is currently supported by psychological therapists who volunteer their time from their usual roles to support colleagues across the Trust in the aftermath of significant incidents at work.
The service uses a psychologically informed model to support colleagues to meet together to discuss and review their experience in an organised and structured way, to consider the likely reactions to events and to provide immediate support and guidance. Overall, the aim is to facilitate normal recovery through promoting the person’s own coping mechanisms and support structures. Since its inception, the PIDS team have received over 210 referrals for staff support across all of GMMH services.
If you are a GMMH member of staff, you do not have to be a psychological professional to volunteer as part of the PIDS team and full training is provided, but you will need your line managers support. Please search ‘PIDS’ on the intranet for more information.
Supporting the Patients, Families and Clinical Team at Woodlands Hospital
At Woodlands Hospital, the Psychology Team support staff to deliver exceptional care to older people with complex needs. Team formulation sessions, consultation and innovative approaches to intervention have become an established part of the way psychology contributes to the service. During the pandemic, psychology supported patients, their families and ward staff at the most difficult periods. The Psychology Team continues to prioritise the wellbeing of staff, and offers both formal and informal support.
GMMH Psychological Specialists work with the British Psychological Society to develop innovative training to increase awareness of the needs of adults with autism
Dr Anna Dodd (Clinical Psychologist, GMMH District ASC Clinical Lead), Tom Bellfield (High Intensity CBT Practitioner, Salford) and Dr Midori Lumsden (Clinical Psychologist/TES and Bolton ASC Service) have worked with national bodies to develop an e-learning package designed to improve the understanding of adults with autism. This nationally recognised training meets the needs of all learners, from those who may have no prior knowledge to those who are looking to build on their existing experience.
The courses are modular, and learners can work through them at their own pace. The first module ‘Building awareness of adult autism’, offers an introductory explanation of autism and details what it is like to have autism, as well as giving information about how you can support someone with autism. It would suit anyone who wants to know how to support someone with autism or increase their own understanding.
Module two ‘Supporting adults with autism’, takes a deeper look at how best to support someone with autism and allows the learner to discover what it is like to have autism and how different people with autism see the world.
The final module, ‘Working with adults with autism’, has been designed to support psychological work with adults with autism. This includes psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention, as well as the general presentation of psychological difficulties in people with an ASC. It is targeted at practitioner psychologists and mental health professionals, who already have some understanding of autism.
