There was an air of celebration at today’s “Movin’ On Up” campaign event in Cardiff.
This week, after many years of campaigning, users of secondary mental health services have finally gained the legal right to a holistic Care and Treatment Plan covering eight areas of their lives.
The new Plans, part of the historic Mental Health (Wales) Measure, give service users the opportunity to take a comprehensive approach to their recovery from serious mental illness by recording all their recovery objectives and support needs (the eight life areas are: accommodation; education and training; finance and money; medical and other forms of treatment, including psychological interventions; parenting or caring relationships; personal care and physical well-being; social, cultural or spiritual; work and occupation).
On Monday Hafal will launch a new publication designed to help service users get the most from the Plans. The guide, “Care and Treatment Planning: a step-by-step guide for secondary mental health service users” will be launched along with the Code of Practice for the Mental Health (Wales) Measure by Health and Social Services Minister Lesley Griffiths AM at the Pierhead Building, Cardiff. (To view Hafal’s guide online please click here. To view the Code of Practice please click here).
Commenting on the new Plans and the forthcoming launch of Hafal’s guide, Cardiff service user Luke Rowlands said: “I currently have an old Care Plan which doesn’t look at all eight life areas. I look forward to receiving a new Care and Treatment Plan and to someone sitting down with me to chat about things other than medication. The introduction of Hafal’s new guide is a positive step forward, too. The guide, along with support from Hafal’s project in Cardiff, will support people like me to make the most of the exciting changes that are taking place in mental health in Wales.”
The “Movin’ On Up” campaign is run by service users and carers and supported by mental health charities Hafal, Bipolar UK and the Mental Health Foundation. 22 weekly county events are taking place and the campaign will culminate in a climb of Wales’ highest peak, Snowdon, in September. The campaign will also feature an interactive stand at the Royal Welsh Show and, on World Mental Health Day, at the National Assembly.
· For more pictures from the event go to Hafal’s Facebook page.
· For more information on the campaign please visit: www.hafal.org
· To get the latest updates on Twitter please go to: http://twitter.com/#!/hafal_