Black History Month 2020 Gallery
Click on a picture for full-size view. All material © the artists and displayed with their permission.
World Mental Health Day 2020 Gallery
Click on a picture for full-size view. All material © the artists and displayed with their permission.
Mental Health Awareness Week Library
All material © the artists and displayed with their permission.
our choices dictate what we become at every stage of life
chances are
if our choices are positive then our life experiences are positive
if our choices are negative, our life experiences are negative
there are two kinds of men in the world
there are clever men and there are wise men
clever men are always busy trying to get out of trouble
wise men never get into trouble
happiness is our birth right
patience is a virtue
By Walton McLaren
Keeping A Smile
I keep a smile ready for any passer-by in the street struggle
They dim their lights in the dead of night fall the hands that switch them around in the nights small like child hands small little fingers crossed though having school offers free plates soup buttered bread washed abandoned grown trown in the bin by fatherly love over there in the corner of the poets ice buckets scones with raspberry jam she gives away to all people who then a thin little blade sharp swings cutting the currants raisins to blend in the soup in that case we do the cooking allowed cabbage patch spuds I press the rose bushes to smelling the fragrance wonderful smell in spite of the weather starring eyes keeping a watchful eye over my shoulder half tipsy topsy you have the afternoon the table below laden in well cured feasible feast eating drinking comes the same as the house on the corner correct we learn that we come to terms in the day time when she brings out the dinner we learn to pass ink that won’t blot on the water spills spilling over who could forget that day the rainfall falling filling the land soaked harvester I keep that smile in that rainfall
By John J Sheehy
Mental Health Awareness Week Gallery
Click on a picture for full-size view. All material © the artists and displayed with their permission.
Recipes
Simple yet scrumptious meals from Islington Mind’s cook, Diana Apent
Minced Beef Pie
Click here to download
Veggie Meatballs with Tomato Courgette
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Click here to download
Yam Porridge
Click here to download
King Prawn and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Click here to download
Chicken and Couscous Salad
Serves 6
Click here to download
Almond Lentil Stew
Click here to download
Chicken and Broccoli Lasagne
Click here to download
Chicken Curry and Naan
Click here to download
Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto
Makes 8 servings
Click here to download
Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberries
Click here to download
Ghana Jollof Rice
Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour to 2 hours
Serves 4
Click here to download
Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole
Click here to download
Rice Noodles With Prawns
Serves 2
Preparation time: 25 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Click here to download
Chicken and Tomato Spiced Curry
Serves 4
Preparation timeL 5 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Click here to download
Quick Broccoli Pasta 2
Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 10 to 30 mins
Serves 2
Click here to download
Chicken and Couscous Salad
Serves 2
Click here to download
One-Pot Chicken with Rice
Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves 2
Click here to download
Avocado Salad
Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: no cooking required
Serves 1
Click here to download
Chili Con Carne with Spaghetti
Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 1 – 2 hours
Serves 4
Click here to download
Fish Curry with Basmati Rice
Preparation time: less than 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Serves 2
Click here to download
Butternut Squash Curry with Rice
Click here to download
Quick Broccoli Pasta
Preparation time: less than 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 30 minutes
Click here to download
Tuna Pasta Bake
Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 10 to 30 mins
Serves 4-6
Click here to download
Chicken Stir-Fried Noodles
Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 10 to 30 mins
Serves 2
Click here to download
Steak Fajitas with Wraps
Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 10 to 30 mins
Serves 2-4
Click here to download
Sausage Spaghetti Bolognese
Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves 2
Click here to download
Coronavirus: online therapy service to offer free sessions across UK
An online therapy service is to offer free 20-minute sessions aimed at vulnerable older people and others who are self-isolating or struggling, after therapists across the UK volunteered their help.
The Help Hub was originally intended to serve a small area in west Oxfordshire but will expand nationally when it launches this week following an influx of support.
“Thanks to the kindness of therapists right across the country willing to work for free, the idea snowballed in the space of less than a fortnight to the extent that we can now cover the whole of the UK,” said Ruth Chaloner, the founder of the service, who is asking therapists to email her at info@helphub.co.uk if they want to get involved.
Chaloner is now setting up a second scheme to help the hardest-to-reach members of her local community. She hopes this is another idea that could be extended nationally.
Full story: The Guardian
Coronavirus: useful links
We are collecting information and links to useful local resources which we are updating regularly.
These links may be useful in helping to deal with the situation:
- Self-care
- Food and Food Banks
- Benefits and Financial
- Learning
- Culture and Entertainment
- LGBTQ+
- Befriending
- Nature
- Domestic Violence
- Exercising at Home
Self-care
Islington Crisis Team – Self-referral for clients who have used the service previously. Phone 020 3317 6333
Samaritans – Freephone: 116 123
Certitude London – Out-of-hours peer support for people with MH, LDs and Autism. Freephone: 0300 123 1922
Age UK Islington – Connect to emergency food supplies; telephone check-in. Phone 020 7281 6018
Mental Health Forum – Forums for people exeriencing mental health problems, categorised by condition,
Help On Your Doorstep – Support for local people via telephone: 020 3931 6080
We Are Islington – Council run telephone support line Monday – Friday 9-5. Phone 020 7527 8222
The Help Hub – Free 20-minute sessions with trained therapists via Skype, FaceTime or phone
Talk for Health – Peer-support online groups via telephone, computer or tablet. Email info@talkforhealth.co.uk or phone 020 3409 3201
Mind (National) – Information and signposting service open Monday to Friday 9am-6pm. Phone 0300 123 3393
CALM – Telephone and webchat for people feeling suicidal, open 5pm – midnight all year round. Phone 0800 58 58 58
Mental Health Foundation – Advice on staying mentally well during the lockdown
Happiful – Advice on staying mentally well during the lockdown
Centre for Mind-Body Medicine – Self-care tips
Tiny Buddha – 45 self-care practices
Sleepio – Online sleep improvement programme
MS Trust – Relaxation techniques
Self-compassion – Guided meditations and exercises
Centre for Mindfulness – Mindful poetry
Melli O’Brien – Mindful poetry
Headspace – Travel Mindfulness tips from TFL
Good Thinking – NHS tools to help your mental health
NHS Apps library – NHS-approved apps and online tools to help you manage your health and wellbeing
Rethink Mental Illness – National charity offering information, advice and support to those suffering from mental ill-health
Get.gg Self-help – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy self-help resources
NHS – Coronavirus updates and advice
NHS Helpline – List of help available from charities supporting people with specific mental health illnesses
Anxiety UK – Support and resources for people feeling anxious about Covid-19
Mood Gym – Interactive self-help book to manage symptoms of depression and anxiety
Free Psychotherapy Network – Online support groups for people who are isolated
My GP App – Free smartphone app which enables you to book GP appointments and order repeat prescriptions
Big White Wall – Online community for people experiencing MH crisis
7 Cups – Connects people to caring listeners for free emotional support
Daily Strength – Online support groups and community forum
No More Panic – Message forum and chat room for people with OCD, Panic, Anxiety & Phobias
The Unlonely Project – Online community including activities, story share and a check-in process
Anna Mathur Psychotherapist – Podcast and blog dealing with issues of anxiety/isolation
Mewso – Telephone advice for women of Middle Eastern origin
Hearing Voices Network – Information, support and resources for people hearing voices. Email info@hearing-voices.org
Turn2me – Online support groups equiring registration and booking
Sign Health – Coronavirus information in BSL
Public Health England – Up-to-date info on Covid-19
Public Health England – PHE easy-read guides to social-distancing
Mencap – Easy-read guide to Covid-19
Sadhguru – Yogic practices to boost immunity
Calm (soothing sounds) – Listen to rainfall and other soothing sounds
Calm (whale tunes) – Sounds to help you relax
The Way of Rumi – Sufi meditation music
Musiqaa – Meditative and relaxing music
Meditative Mind – Meditative and relaxing music
Adam Siddiq – Playlist with Rumi poems
Suicide Prevention Helpline – Support for people experiencing suicidal feelings or thoughts or affected in any way by suicide: 30-minute webchat and phone support available Monday, Wednesday & Friday 6-8pm; Sunday 6-9pm. Freephone 08088 020 080 Text 07860 058 793
Rufus May – useful online resources for people living with psychosis or hearing voices
Inter Voice – Practical guide to coping with voices
Open Mind Online – holistic approaches to emotional and social wellbeing
Open Mind Online – Engaging With Voices videos. Support for people interested in compassionate approaches to voices. Includes 15 videos from Rufus May, Elisabeth Svanholmer and Charlie Heriot-Maitland.
SLOW (Surviving the Loss of your World) – Support for bereaved parents and siblings via one-to-one phone calls and emails and Zoom group support. Phone 07532 423 674 or email info@slowgroup.co.uk
Claremont Project – Free online activities for the over 55s: exercise, singing, creative writing, tai chi, book club and much more. Email amanda.b@claremont-project.org
St Joseph’s Hospice Bereavement Service – Phone 020 3317 5774 or email islingtonbereavement@stjh.org.uk
Islington Alzheimer’s Society – Phone 0333 1503456 or email Islington@alzheimers.org.uk
Listening Ears – Free online and telephone listening ears from qualified psychoanalysts
Shout Crisis Text Support – 24/7 crisis support from trained counsellors – will usually respond to a text within 5 minutes. Text: BEYONDFOOD to 85258
Random Acts of Kindness – activities to do at home around the theme of kindness
Lessons from the Mental Hospital – TEDx talk from bestselling author Glennon Doyle (formerly Glennon Doyle Melton)
Asperger London Area Group – monthly support group for autistic adults, including those with Asperger’s syndrome
The Listening Place – Fortnightly telephone support from trained volunteers for people feeling suicidal. Phone 020 3906 7676
The Caravan – Drop-in (outside of lockdown) and telephone counselling. Phone 020 7183 1802
Understanding Voices – Strategies for coping with voices
Voice Collective – Calming strategies for people hearing voices
Spiral Centre – low-cost therapy in Holloway £10-£50
Cruse Bereavement Care – free helpline 0808 808 1677 – Mondays and Fridays 9.30-5.00; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 9.30-8.00; weekends 10-2.00
Cruse Chat – Monday to Friday 9am-9pm to speak to a bereavement counsellor
Food and Food Banks
Covid-19 Mutual Aid Groups – Local volunteer groups set up by borough ward to support with shopping, medication collection etc. Enter postcode into ‘local group’ search
Brownswood – Facebook
Chester Road – WhatsApp 07968 964 831
Clissold – WhatsApp 07309 785 643 or Facebook
Dalston – WhatsApp 07765 071 429
Finsbury Park – WhatsApp 07903 162 175 or email fpmutualaid@gmail.com
Finsbury Park, Stroud Green, Green Lanes & Manor House – Facebook
Highbury – WhatsApp 07961 703 751 or email highburymutualaid@gmail.com
Hillrise & Tollington – WhatsApp 07494 971 873
Hillrise email hillrise.c19@gmail.com
Tollington email tollington.c19@gmail.com
Holloway – WhatsApp 07790 164 439 or Facebook
Hoxton West – Facebook
Junction – WhatsApp 07498 670 610 or email junctionislingtonmutualaid@gmail.com
Mildmay – WhatsApp 07712 633 070 or email mildmaymutualaid@gmail.com
Newington Green – Phone 033 3050 9318 or Facebook or email info@newingtongreen.org
Queensland Road – WhatsApp 07813 701 458
Quernmore Road – WhatsApp 07904 520 117
Redbrick Estate TMO – Facebook
St George’s – WhatsApp 07787 707 643
Stroud Green – WhatsApp 07795 142 898
Tiltman Place – Facebook
Woodberry Down – WhatsApp 07826 002 230
Islington Council interactive Covid-19 map – Click on the type of business in the ‘show layers’ tab to find out who is open and how they’re operating
People’s Army Islington – Local support with shopping, dog-walking etc. Meals provided for the most vulnerable
London Homeless Info – Check site for updates on where to get free meals, clothes and showers
Food Cycle – Free food parcel deliveries to residents of Finsbury Park
Andover Community Centre – Food parcels delivered or collected for Finsbury Park ward residents only 1.30-5pm every Friday. Phone Sue Burbidge: 07989 213 322
St Joan of Arc Church – Emergency food bank Monday-Friday, 12-4pm, Saturday 1-2pm; no referrals or booking required. 60 Highbury Park, N5 2XH. Phone 07516 690 197
The Pilion Trust – Free fruit, veg, bread and patries for collection Monday to Friday 12-4. Deliveries can be arranged for those self-isolating. Phone 020 7700 2498
Jack Monroe – Cooking on a budget
Sweet Potato Soul – Simple vegan cooking on YouTube
Akwaaba – Takeaway food avaiable every Sunday at 2pm from St Paul’s West Hackney, 184 Stoke Newington Rd, N16 7UY
Brickworks Community Centre – Free food and books plus internet access Monday to Friday 9am – 3pm at 42 Crouch Hill, London, N4 4BY. Phone 020 7263 1067
Hornsey Lane Estate CA – Hot meals to take away on Saturdays 12-2 from Hazellville Rd, N19 3YJ. Phone 0207 272 5938
Hare Krishna Food For All – Free hot vegetarian meal 2pm to 2.40pm Monday – Saturday Take away from the white van at York Way next to Kings Cross train station
Margins Homeless Project – Food takeaway for people in crisis Monday 11am – 2pm; Wednesday 11am – 2pm from Union Chapel, 19b Compton Terrace, N1 2UN. Phone 020 7226 1686
St John the Evangelist Church – Pre-packed sandwiches, fruit and a hot drink for those experiencing homelessness – 3-5pm every Sunday from 39 Duncan Terrace, N1 8AL
LBI shop delivery info – List of local shops who can deliver
Good Gym – Local volunteers who can do more than shopping and collecting meds so please consider: changing lightbulbs, moving furniture. It’s free and volunteers are all DBS checked. Referrals must come from Mind.
Manor Gradens Free Food Parcels – Email MGAssistance@manorgardenscentre.org Order by 5pm on Monday for a Wednesday delivery.
Georgina Bisby – How to grow vegetables indoors without any equipment
Jenny Can Cook – How to make no-knead bread
Hilldrop Community Centre – Food parcels for collection on Tuesdays 12-3 for Tufnell Park and St George’s ward. Phone 020 7607 9453
Olio – Free food app where you can source local food from individuals and supermarkets
Benefits and Financial
London Renters Union – Support for people with rent issues
Shine Islington – Fuel poverty and free energy advice. Phone 0300 555 0195
DWP – Up-to-date benefits info
Thames Water – Freeze or reduction in water bills. Particularly helpful if benefits have been stopped/delayed
Council Tax/Rent – For council tenants anxious about being able to pay their rent or council tax. Email HomesandCommunities@Islington.gov.uk or phone 020 7527 5300
Wavelength – Charity providing free TVs, radios or tablets for people experiencing isolation
Money Saving Expert – Info on help with energy bills, debt, overdrafts, rent arrears
Islington Citizens Advice Bureau – Telephone advice on benefits, housing and debt. Phone 0300 330 1197
Islington People’s Rights – Welfare benefits and debt telephone advice Monday, Tuesday & Friday 2-4pm. Phone 020 7561 3685
IMAX (Islington Income Maximisation Team) – Phone 020 7527 8600. Leave your name and phone number on their answering machine and they’ll call you back
Learning
The Recovery College – Mental health online courses
Future Learn – Variety of online courses
Class Central – 600 free online courses from 190 universities
Open University – Free online learning
TED Talks – Inspirational lectures on a wide range of topics
VSS Vocational Solutions – Free vocational short courses. Phone 0161 478 4040
New City College – Free 10-12 week distance learning courses
Lubcho Macrame – Learn how to make macrame
Macrame School – Macrame for beginners
Guardian website – Online learning: how to acquire new skills during lockdown
Islington Council – Free online courses for Islington residents. Email aldo.zeolla@islington.gov.uk
Culture and Entertainment
British Museum – Podcasts
Tate Gallery – Online gallery tours, performances and texts
Tate Gallery: How are you feeling? – Match your mood to a Tate artwork
Tate Gallery “Walk of Arts” podcasts – Be transported out of your living room and into nineties Shoreditch, sunny St Ives or the hidden depths of the River Thames
Aurora Borealis – Live webcam of the Northern Lights – 3am-9am best time to see them – for insomniacs!
BBC i-Player – Free art documentaries
National Theatre – Watch performances from the National Theatre for free
Great British Home Chorus – Online community for choir and musicians
Sporcle – Trivia quizzes
Radio Garden – Interactive map of live radio stations across the globe
Meet Up – Free online talks and events for Londoners
Gutenberg Library – List of online free libraries
Billboard – Livestreams and virtual concerts
Globe Theatre – Free to watch Globe productions of Shakespeare
Google – Virtual tours of galleries, opera houses etc
National Gallery – Virtual tours of NG’s collection
National Portrait Gallery – Digital content from past exhibitions/NPG collection
Internet Archive – Free books, films and audio (mostly oldies and out of copyright)
Draw a Stickman – Surprisingly therapeutic interactive drawing
BFI Flare – 14 days free trial of all films that were showing in Flare
BFI Player – Short archive films to watch for free
Social Distancing Festival – Art and performance showcase from all over the world
Time Out – Listings for online events
Nothing in the Rulebook – Creative site with listings of free books
Chatterpack – Online resources to support SEND and learning disabilities
Mind’s Despard Road Music Channel – Music and visuals made by service users
North London Cares – Daily creative activities for people to do at home in isolation
New York Metropolitan Opera – Watch opera for free
What’s On Stage – Stage shows, musicals and operas to watch for free
Virtual Nature – Virtual visits to natural places plus a virtual gardening project to help you to grow things at home, courtesy of the Stuart Low Trust
Virtual Museums – Plus a virtual philosophy forum on Sundays
Andy Warhol at the Tate – Talk on Tate’s current Warhol show
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra – Download music and play along with other musicians
CBC – Free indigenous films
Open Culture – Free online culture and educational media
Sacred Valley Tribe – Medicine songs
Soundcloud – Free music streaming
Art Net – News/articles related to art world
Artsy – Learn about art from leading galleries
Saatchi Art – Art selected from the collection by curators
Max Ehrmann – Desiderata: A Life Changing Poem for Hard Times
Crochet a tote bag out of grocery bags
Islington Council – Islington during WW2 to celebrate VE Day
Uffizi Gallery, Florence – online exhibitions
Musée d’Orsay – from railway station to iconic Parisian museum
Guggenheim Museum, NY – exhibitions and collections
LGBTQ+
QueerCare – Support for trans women via email and WhatsApp group: Phone 0300 302 1337
National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline 0800 999 5428
Respect Men’s Advice Line 0808 801 0327
Survivor’s Trust – For men who have experienced rape or sexual abuse 0808 801 0818
London LGBTIQ+ Mutual Aid support – Complete a form online to request help
Queer Foodbank – Emergency food parcels funded by a GoFundMe page
Outside Project – Monday evening Zoom meetings (6-9pm) + a WhatsApp group
Spectra – Transgender/non-binary online support group; open to nonbinary and trans people every Friday
Mind Out – Online support for LGBTQ+ community. Phone 01273 234 839
Out Savvy – Classes, comedy entertainment for LGBTQ+ community – some are free; others low cost
Leeds Queer Film Festival – Free queer films online
Queer East Film Festival – Queer films from East Asia
Befriending
Silverline – National charity offering weekly 30-minute telephone befriending to people over 60. Mind can refer. Freephone: 0800 470 8090
FCV Dorcas – For isolated older and/or disabled people living in Central and South Islington, offers telephone befriending. Phone 020 7689 1574
Hornsey Lane Estate CA – Phone Val: 07496 213 442
Nature
Aurora Borealis – Live webcam of the Northern Lights – 3am-9am best time to see them – for insomniacs!
Liziqi – Inspiring videos on making things from scratch and living in harmony with Nature
Jonna Linton – Inspiring videos from a Scandinavian artist inspired by Nature
Hilldrop Community Centre – Free 1-hour slots for Islington residents who don’t have their own garden. Available to single households only and not mixed groups. Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am-4pm. Phone 020 7607 9453
Yellowstone National Park – 10-minute virtual walks to the Mammoth Hot Springs and other delights, Wyoming USA
Domestic Violence
Refuge – Phone lines open 24 hours a day. Freephone: 0808 2000 247
Rape Crisis – Phone lines open 12.00-2.30pm and 7.00-9.30pm every day of the year. Freephone: 0808 802 9999
Respect Men’s Advice Line. Freephone: 0808 801 0327
Women’s Aid – One-to-one support and online forum
Respect – Telephone support for perpetrators of DV. Freephone: 0808 802 4040
Silent Solution – 999, cough or tap handset, then when prompted press 55 to be put through to the police
Survivor’s Trust – For men who have experienced rape or sexual abuse. Freephone: 0808 801 0818
ICAP – Immigrant Counselling & Psychotherapy for the Irish community. Phone 020 7272 7906
Abuse Never Becomes Us – Support for survivors of abuse in the Tamil community. Email ask@anbu.org.uk
MOSAC – Support for non-abusive parents and carers whose children have experienced sexual abuse. Freephone: 0800 980 1958
Male Survivors Partnership – Telephone support Monday to Saturday and online chat. Freephone: 08088 005 005
Exercising at Home
Yoga with Adrienne – Free 30-day online yoga classes
Sport England – Free workouts and fitness programmes
British Heart Foundation – Tips on staying active in lockdown
Joe Wicks – Body Coach: Youtube workouts for all abilities
YouTube workout – 5-minute arm workout
YouTube workout – Pilates for older women
YouTube workout – Back pain relief exercises and stretches
YouTube workout – 5 simple daily exercises for older people
YouTube workout – Seated exercise
YouTube workout – Beginners Pilates
Islington Chinese Association – Exercise classes on Zoom
Qigong – 20-minute daily exercise routine – particularly suited to older people or people with mobility issues
Tai Chi – 5 minutes a day routines, particularly suited to older people or people with mobility issues
Better GLL – free online exercises for all ages and abilities
GAME: a board game co-designed by clients at the Psychosis Therapy Project
GAME: a board game co-designed by clients at the Psychosis Therapy Project
Not every game has a ball, nor two competing teams; even, sometimes, there is no notion of “winning.” Marvin Minsky, in reference to Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations (1980)
Background
This collaboration was part of a PhD project aimed at understanding the design process and the experiences of participants, clients of the Psychosis Therapy Project, to see if this engagement is beneficial to mental health. The co-design project was not set up with the intention of developing an artefact, and participants were encouraged to engage in the process freely. The process started with activities that aimed to begin to understand and define what design means; for instance by bringing objects and reflecting upon their significance or carrying out short design projects. Through some co-design tools and activities, a broad design purpose emerged, that of expressing a notion of Stewardship, or taking care of, which resulted in the development of GAME.
GAME is a tremendous achievement, stemming from participants unique knowledge and insights on Stewardship, or taking care of, each other and the world, and an intellectual and creative engagement with the meaning and diversity of human experiences.
GAME:
The board game is designed to encourage collaboration over competition, and the exchange of ideas and perspectives in a non-judgmental way. Some players for instance commented ‘I have shared things I wouldn’t have done otherwise’ or ‘I didn’t know I was so self-conscious’.
Game is designed to help participants wonder, get to know themselves and connect with one another and the environment. There are no winners or losers and interaction among participants is the main benefit. To achieve this, the board game involves players in addressing questions that relate to different themes, through different forms of interaction.
Game is composed by a set of cards with questions pertaining to the different themes in different colours, and a board offering 3 different ways to address each card. There is also a set of empty cards where players can write their own questions.
The different themes are: green, philosophical, spiritual, mind & body, creativity and (?) which refers to any area not included in the main themes.
Figure 1. Prototype of guidelines booklet (themes descriptions) and cards.
Randomly through a wheel, each question can be addressed in three different ways: Tell & share, Think & discuss, and Act & ask.
Figure 2. Prototype of guidelines booklets – ways to address questions and tokens
Through sharing opinions, non-judgemental discussions and reflections with others, players may identify areas in which they may want to further reflect and develop themselves, individually or as a group. In order to keep track of these reflections, tokens are distributed among players, which reflect each theme.
Figure 3. Game, box of cards, board and box with tokens corresponding to each theme.
Unlike most games, tokens are allocated subjectively. Throughout the game, when the player feels they need help with some area (e.g. spirituality), they can take a token as a reminder of this need (e.g. spirituality token). Tokens can also be given by others, if the player accepts them. At the end of the play session, the number of tokens of each type reflects where the player needs development. Rewards corresponding to each theme are given to those who have most tokens of one type, to motivate them to develop that part of themselves. For instance, if you feel you are not very environmentally aware, fellow players could encourage you to take some green corresponding tokens. At the end of the game, if you have mostly green tokens, you may be given a reward that encourages you to become more environmentally friendly. These rewards could be created ad hoc by the group or selected from a booklet of ideas.
Step by step – with example:
- First player randomly picks a card. The card is placed in the middle of the board, and spinned.
- Where the pointer lands determines the way in which the card needs to be addressed (tell & share, think & discuss or act & ask).
- Each card has a question (e.g. what colour is your soul?). The same question would be addressed in different ways depending on whether the pointer lands on tell and share (e.g. player expresses first thing that comes to mind ‘my soul is pink’ and others share their views), on think and discuss (players individually think their responses and then discuss with one another) or act and ask ( player acts, addressing the question via mimics or gestures, and others ask, by joining the act or verbally).
- After discussing each card, the individual or group can reflect on any needs, and distribute tokens.
- At the end of the game, these tokens are used to distribute the rewards. The participant who has more tokens in one area (e.g. spirituality) will gain the corresponding reward (e.g. meditation event).
Principles of GAME
- It values diversity of lived experience over accuracy of factual knowledge. As one of the co-designers put it ‘in this game we are all equal’
- The subjective nature of the token system reflects how people judge, value, as well as support one another and make decisions in everyday life.
- People who identify themselves, or are helped to recognize, an area where they may want to seek further development, are given rewards to encourage this process. This symbolic gesture also reflects the principles behind peer-to-peer support, recovery and rehabilitation.
Try it any time at the Despard Road centre – feedback and ideas welcome!
Erika Renedo-Illarregi
GAME is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
Addiction psychiatry ‘in meltdown’ and could cease to exist in ten years
Addiction psychiatry could be wiped out in the next 10 years unless urgent measures are taken to tackle the dwindling numbers of doctors training in addictions, according to a landmark report published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
It reveals the number of higher training posts across England have fallen by 58%, from 64 in 2011 to just 27 in 2019, leaving some regions without a single trainee.
The College is calling for urgent government funding to protect existing places and to create training posts especially in England, as the falling numbers cannot be solved by the current funding arrangements.
The findings come at a time when both drug-related deaths and alcohol-related hospital admissions in England have reached record levels.
“This report reveals the meltdown that has occurred within addiction psychiatry across the UK, but especially in England,” said Professor Julia Sinclair, chair of the addictions faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists and co-author of the report.
“Without urgent investment from government, training in the specialist skills that are an essential part of the treatment system could be wiped out in a decade, depriving thousands of people with this life-threatening condition access to the specialist help they need to recover and rebuild their lives.”
“Assessment and treatment of people with complex medical and social needs arising out of addictions are the essential skills of the addiction psychiatrist. Helping bring people back from the brink of death and turn their lives around are just two of the many reasons why addictions psychiatry is such a vital career.”
The report – Training in Addiction Psychiatry: Current Status and Future Prospects – found in 2019 there were just 16 people in higher training posts that would give them a qualification in Addiction Psychiatry in England, with five out of 12 English Regions – South West Peninsula, Severn, Wessex, Thames Valley and Kent Surrey and Sussex – having no such posts.
This means there are no opportunities to gain skills needed to equip psychiatrists to improve patient care, nor are there opportunities for a trainee to gain an endorsement in addiction psychiatry and work as a specialist addiction consultant.
Full article: Mental Health Today
Outcome shortlisted at British Diversity Awards
Outcome, Islington Mind’s client-led LGBTQ+ service, has been shortlisted for Charity or Non-Profit Organisation of the Year at the British Diversity Awards.
The British Diversity Awards promote the values of equality, diversity and inclusion by rewarding those individuals, organisations and unsung heroes who help to make the world and the workplace a better place for others.
Outcome is one of eight nominees shortlisted for the Charity or Non-Profit Organisation of the Year award for 2019. The winner will be announced on 26 March and will automatically be shortlisted for the European Diversity Awards in November.