sectioning and career prospects

[jen-x]

just wondered if anyone new if there are limitations on your career choice if you have been sectioned...(also if you have history of self harm)

i;m looking in particular at clinical psychology or social work....

thanks,
jen

[LetMeSlipAway]

I'm studying social pyschology at uni hoping to head onto social work after and Ive been sectioned numberous times.
Unfortunatly as far as I'm aware there are certain jobs such as social work, nursing etc that do have to do a full medical check, police checks and things like that as usually that sort of work is working with vulnerable people and children but I think if your stable for numberous years then it shouldnt be a problem but its only for the safety of others and yourself as these jobs can be highly stressful and many people find them tough without mental health problems because of what the jobs entail.

[sherlock holmes]

Ive been on a section three but I'm aiming to be a forensic psychologist.

Section 3s do not show up on CRB checks, but when you start a job/training/certain degree you will need to declare mental health etc and have an occupational therapy check to see if you are fit to work.

[The Hierophant]

Well i've just been appointed as a youth worker.
i have a history with hospital & the police & such like, it's always best to be honest, i've always found that, provide the information as soon as possible (occupational health questionnaires are a bitch for me) but for most jobs with vulnerable people you will have a CRB so i always tell them first, before doing the crb.

[FragileWings]

All sections appear on an Enhanced CRB. I don't know about a Standard CRB. But as you want to work with a vulnerable people, it would be an Enhanced CRB.

It would be best to be honest about your history.

Good luck :)

[Soviette]

Well I know that Sections (yes, even assessment/treatment sections, like 2, 3, etc) can appear in your enhanced CRB if the Police were involved or were informed about them for some reason, particularly 136's/135's, but under no circumstances can they appear in a standard CRB check unless there was an Offence committed as well as it's not a criminal offence to get sectioned, even if it's by the Police. Anyway, apparently it generally only appears in an enhanced check if it's relevent, which is in the cases where there was violence or a threat of violence against other people, and I know of people who have been held under many Sections (including 136) and it has never once appeared on their enhanced CRB check.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 you cannot legally be discriminated against for previous mental illness if you are now fit to work in a specific role. That's not to say some employers won't try to find ways to slither around it, but legally, they're not allowed to. Of course being sectioned limits prospects like immigrating to USA or Australia and joining the armed forces for obvious reasons, but mostly it shouldn't.

I don't know anything about Occupational Health, but I think the best way to approach this hurdle is just to be honest with your potential employers and tell them about your psychiatric history and/or involvement with the Police. It's better for you to explain what happened, rather than an enhanced CRB check to come back saying "person X was held under Section [insert number here] for being a threat to herself or others and for the purposes of treatment" seeing as the Police would be very impersonal. I mean, as long as you're mentally well NOW, there should be no problems and the law is on your side.

Good luck. x Heh.

[Buttercup.]

If you are medically cleared and pronounced healthy and stable by a doctor, there shouldn't be a problem. Even if you have a history, you can still totally get a job...you just have to make sure you are healthy and not self harming when you actually get the job.

[Sunshine]

i had to get an enhanced crb check in order to work in my local theatre and none of my sections came up and i have been sectioned 3 once and section 2 and 136 more then i can remember sadly! i am currently doing psychology and wish to study social work afterwards aswell so this is a question that is relevant to me aswell so thanks for asking

[Soviette]

i had to get an enhanced crb check in order to work in my local theatre and none of my sections came up and i have been sectioned 3 once and section 2 and 136 more then i can remember sadly! i am currently doing psychology and wish to study social work afterwards aswell so this is a question that is relevant to me aswell so thanks for asking
They'll only turn up if a Chief Police Officer declares them relevent to my knowledge, and unless you're 100% sure they won't turn up, it's best just to declare it yourself and be honest with your employer.