Example from another sector: "Expert by experience" service users' to ...

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develop mental health services. Minna Laitila ... Increasing client and service-user involvement is ... service users ge
Example from another sector: "Expert by experience" service users' to help professionals to develop mental health services Minna Laitila, Project Manager, RN, MNSc Timo Kallioaho, MA, Expert by Experience

The Ostrobothnia Project • A development project of mental health and substance misuse work that started in 2005 • The funding comes from the national development programme for social welfare and health care (Kaste) and from municipalities • the project will end in October 2013

The South Ostrobothnia hospital district

• The project will implement the national plan and for mental health and substance abuse work, called “Mieli 2009” • Increasing client and service-user involvement is one of the objectives highlighted in the “Mieli 2009” project • Experts by experience and peer counsellors should be increasingly involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of mental health and substance abuse services

Within the Hospital District of South Ostrobothnia, • experts by experience and peer counselors are working as group tutors both in inpatient and outpatient units side by side with professionals' • offer peer support for persons with long-term mental health problems

• experts by experience and the peer counselors collaborate with professionals: – in development meetings of the hospital – in offering psychiatric clients a meeting place of a low threshold for everybody – by telling their own stories of recovery on different kinds of forums in the social and health care – by participating in the development work of organizations which leads to making the voice of service users heard and empowerment

Changes - outcomes? • Psychiatric nursing staff’s attitudes have become more positive • Experts by experience have influenced the attitudes of social and health care students who easier can adopt new strategies • The service system adapts better to clients’ needs • Peer support for clients with long-term illnesses • Feel themselves EMPOWERED (!)

Service user involvement and recovery • In all these activities service users become empowered and do have a feeling of recovery meaning: – HOPE = the belief that it is possible for someone to regain a meaningful life despite serious mental illness – staying in control of their life even though experiencing a mental health problem – service users get support and focus on supporting others, as well – focus on people, as they are, not just on treating or managing their symptoms

What lessons have we learned? • In practise, there are many barriers to client involvement. These include staff’s attitudes, paternalism, organisational culture and bureaucracy. • Influencing attitudes requires long-span development processes • Training of experts by experience, work counseling, education and information for the staff and support of the management are the factors contributing to our success • Job satisfaction (and empowerment of the staff) is noteworthy when implementing service user involvement

Thank you!

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