This webinar is aimed at challenging powerful hierarchies that perpetuate outdated thinking. We will describe a successful participatory approach through Action Learning sets that have been used in several places.
We will describe what Action Learning Sets are and how they can be useful in changing thinking, practice and systems. This successful participatory approach has been used across the world in transforming mental health, gaining widespread ownership through active and meaningful participation including the importance of leadership, co-production, sharing knowledge and innovation.
This is a proven way of ensuring action-based learning amongst communities of a common interest to improve the mental health of citizens. This is achieved by adopting the Whole Person Whole Life-Whole System approach founded in human values and their application by the expert by experience, professionals and the service itself. The objective is to achieve health and well-being regardless of the degree of disability or distress of the individual.
This requires a paradigm shift in thinking from pathology and illness to self-determination, life stories, human strengths, hopes and dreams, peer support and control by the user with support from professionals as partners, mentors and advocates.
This has been used in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board; Hywel Dda University Health Board, Wales; Tees, Esk and Weir NHS Trust, England and in Belgrade, Serbia; Trieste, Italy; Johor Bahru, Malaysia; Auckland, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia.
This webinar is recommended for organisations and individuals who want to create a culture for change that can transform mental health services and practices.
Course Content
Presenter
CEO International Mental Health Collaborating Network (UK)
John has worked in community mental health development for years as a clinician, manager, policy maker, change agent and educator. In the 1970’s he worked in South Wales as a manager in 3 hospitals changing the culture and services. In 1976-1988 he was the General Manager of Devon Health Authority, developing the first comprehensive mental health service in the UK resulting in the closure of 3 psychiatric institutions.
He then became a senior policy adviser in the Department of Health reviewing previous mental health policies and formulating new policies and initiatives. In 1992 he established and directed the Center for Mental Health Services Development at Kings College, London.This was established by the DoH to assist in the implementation of policy.
He was the Director of Operations and Service Development at North Birmingham Mental Health Trust that pioneered the mental health community functional teams that later became national policy and implemented throughout England.
Together with colleagues across the world he established the International Mental Health Collaborating Network(IMHCN) in 1993, an International NGO and is the current Chief Executive. He has been and is still a mental health adviser to Ministries of Health and Health Authorities in: Australia,New Zealand,India,Malaysia,Serbia,Romania,France,Italy,Ireland, Argentina.
He has been a senior consultant with WHO in Kosova, Albania and Macedonia and program manager for WHO in Palestine.
He has been a Senior Lecturer at Brunel University and Kings College in London and in others around the world over the last 40 years.
He provides consultancy and training on Whole Life-Whole Systems and Recovery/Discovery, organisational and community development, the management of change in the UK and other countries.
Paul works for IMHCN, he is a community development worker with a focus on mental health. He trains and works on discovery approaches and peer support work practice and theory. The aim is to enable people with mental health difficulties to work towards their own discovery journeys through developing supportive networks, community involvement and maintaining well being. He has a particular interest and experience of working internationally, with diverse cultures and communities in engaging service providers and people who use services in create the opportunities for changes in culture and practice. Currently working on developing a discovery learning community in Manchester and developing new approaches in Brazil.
