Today my final placement in an adult community mental health team was finally confirmed and I should be starting after Easter.
I just wondered what people would suggest as useful preparatory reading? Obviously I am revising my law and policy knowledge- but can anyone recommend anything else that might be particularly useful?
I am so looking forward to this placement; my last one was so enjoyable and I learned so much during it. But I want to make the most of it too, especially as it is my final PLO, so any reading or other preparation that anyone could suggest would be much appreciated
woop woop cmht!
a sociology of mental health and illness by Rogers and Pilgim is good as is social models of distress by Tew,
i will add some more when i have more time!
congratulations
Thanks, Ladybird. I'm really looking forward to this placement- after going to meet the team yesterday and speaking to them about the work they do, it's made me even more enthusiastic than I was before.
I've read some of Rogers and Pilgrim, and it is sat on my bookshelf, so will pick that back up. I've found Pritchard's book very useful too- 'Mental Health Social Work', and Howe's 'Emotionally Intelligent Social Worker' was quite interesting as well.
I've not heard of the Tew one, but will try to find it- thanks for the recommendation. I guess it's time to get my law books and folder back down off the bookshelf too!
Apart from 'New Horizons', I'd recommend 'The Approved Mental Health Practitioners' Guide to Psychiatry and Medication' as a lay guide to some of the more medicalised aspects that come up in a CMHT.
I don't need to go through which law stuff will be needed! But the MIND website has a great resource of booklets (which can all be viewed free on their website) covering a wide range of issues.
I wrote a long email to my student prior to her placement with some suggested reading (because she asked me - I was very impressed!) so I'll dig it out when I get to work and post what I suggested!
I work within a mental health charity organisation and being allocated the best practice educator, I am now working alongside the statutory substance misuse team ( We're under the mental health social services but based within the NHS).
Knowledge of mental capacity act is needed, drugs and alcohol awareness, understanding of mental health problems and knowledge of mental health, knowledge of the main legislation- mental health act 1983 amendment 2007. The approved mental health practitioner is a very good book to have (I don't own a copy but I use the library's copy)
I will suggest that you should buy social work law by Alison Brammer (She's my law lecturer at uni)- I actually own a copy.
queenb: Today my final placement in an adult community mental health team was finally confirmed and I should be starting after Easter. I just wondered what people would suggest as useful preparatory reading? Obviously I am revising my law and policy knowledge- but can anyone recommend anything else that might be particularly useful? I am so looking forward to this placement; my last one was so enjoyable and I learned so much during it. But I want to make the most of it too, especially as it is my final PLO, so any reading or other preparation that anyone could suggest would be much appreciated
'the comforts of madness' a novel. written by a cpn. easily found on amazon. learned more from that than any text book. text books give you a loose framework, working is where you really learn.
I'm approaching the end of my placement on a mental health team, and I'd agree with Ladybird about the Jerry Tew book - it's been the most interesting/useful book I've read during my placement. To give it the full title: Social Perspectives in Mental Health: Developing Social Models to Understand and Work with Mental Distress.
A few web sites have been useful - Mind as mentioned, plus the various leaflets on the Royal College of Psychatrists site for good basic info about different mental health problems.
Good luck! I hope you have as positive an experience as I've had so far.