Support workers- do you have one: yeah/ nay?
 

Hi,
I just wanted to salute support workers. They have changed my life in terms of student and professional.

My experiences have been varied and today my self- appointed "family therapist" told me I would no longer be able to have one- in fact they would become my support worker....have had to cease services in order to practice as a professional, but it helps during the extremes between needing to be off work or curtailing a crisis like hospitalisation.

It has been an anomaly where I live- my doctor has never had a patient handling their own care before. I know the benefits in my life, and I would recommend them to anyone who is trying to manage mental health issues in the community.

Has anyone here had experiences?

I hope to study peer support specialists qualifications if I get the opportunity.

Iv had care co-odinaters and cpns before. Is there much of a difference?

Actually thinking about it i was in supported accomidation i think i had support workers then. I had about 4 other 2 years. It was a varied experiance but most seemed friendly and helpful.

Out of curiosity how do you handle your own care?

That sounds like an interesting qualification :)

I have a brilliant support worker. One of my best friends works as a support worker

I have a really good 'recovery worker' which is her official title who works in mental health in the community and she's been proper amazing at all the right times. Just checking in from time to time is really reassuring and I know she's there as and when I need her.

Sophie.x

I got referred to see if I could get a support worker a few months ago. Never heard back about that actually. I kind of wish I had one as I really struggle at times.

I actually am a support worker, but for adults with learning disabilities. Apparently support workers also need support workers.

Hey Albus,
Maybe you should follow up about the support worker if you think it would help.
I think sometimes there are challenges. Like when I was doing one of my studies I could not get a certain person as my key worker because they worked at my university in the same field I was studying so it was a conflict. Maybe some less evolved minds made a unilateral decision.....
My main disappointment was having to "prove" I was stable by not having one....when as you said- we all can do with a bit of support. Maybe when I get rich and famous, I will hire one and call them my personal assistant or receptionist so prying eyes.....

Ive just qualified as a peer support worker.

congrats

@angel_of_despair Regarding my own care- I was working and had to pay for a support worker out of pocket because it was not the norm to have one for psychiatric needs. I also have previously had the experience that needing a support worker means you are not stable. So as I work in the health care profession- the expectation is that I do not receive that additional support. In order to work or study in this field means I cannot have a support worker- which feels very skewed. Mainly because the forms of support available are emergency/ crisis or not practical- and can only scratch the surface of functioning needs.

Regarding managing my own care, I find that I do most of the research and make many of the decisions that persons with mental health issues would either have family members or psychiatric/ mental health teams making for them. I see no difference in the various systems/ countries I've lived in- which makes me even more sad.

However, I do fully believe in managing mental illness in the community rather than hospitals- so a support worker goes very far in assisting with this. I've learnt that contracting with family and friends is very tricky because of the distress it causes them to see you unwell- and sometimes- because they are part of the problem.....