Health group helps Liam get back on track
ANDREA LAMBROU
A Westwood man has had his life turned around thanks to the support of the community mental health team (CMHT) at East Kilbride’s Hunter Health Centre.
Since 2010, the Westwood man has been supported by a multidisciplinary team for those with complex mental health needs.
That has seen him given access to a community psychiatric nurse, specialist occupational therapist, clinical psychologist and clinical support worker in partnership with social work services – all of which has helped the 50-year-old get back on track.
Liam, 50, told the News: “The support I’ve had has been fantastic. Everyone has been so nice – they have went above and beyond.
“They’re always there if I need them – I wouldn’t be where I am today without them”.
Through the support provided by clinical psychologist Dr Debra O’Neill and the CMHT, Liam has been supported and encouraged to become a community champion for See Me – Scotland’s programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination – and regularly holds events to raise awareness of the stigma around mental health issues in the workplace and across the community.
Through this role, Liam has also become a media volunteer for the See Me ‘Time to Talk’ initiative, appearing in national press and on radio.
Through his experience, Liam now plans to set up a choir involving community mental health staff and See Me volunteers which will tour across Scotland.
And he is now part of a pilot project launched by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) which will see him provide ‘Psychosocial Interventions for Psychosis’ training across Lanarkshire for mental health staff who have a keyworker role and work with people who have experience of psychosis.
Dr O’Neill said: “Liam has been an active participant through the support offered by the team.
“He has used this positively and, with the psychosocial interventions training, he is now providing training to mental health professionals across NHS Lanarkshire to help them better understand the issues around mental ill-health.”
For more on the See Me programme, visit: www. seemescotland.org