Working in an organisation where you are a service user
 

I hope that someone can help me shed some light on this. I'm just about to finish uni and have been applying for jobs until I can get onto a postgraduate course. I'm not having much luck as I can't travel far and because I live in such a small area all of the psychological assistant's jobs have been taken. This morning I got a letter from an organisation asking me to come in to talk about working with them but the problem is that I have been, and am soon again going to be, a service user within their organisation. Obviously, in most organisations you are also likely to be a service user but I think that it is likely to be more problematic within the area of mental health.

They are a voluntary mental health charity and I used to have a key worker who was based there, right now my psychologist is looking into getting me a befriender from them. I'm just wondering if i'd be allowed to be a service user and a (prospecive) employee? I could find a befriender somewhere else I suppose, but having been a service user in the past might be a problem. I know that I could just ask them, or my psychologist, but i'm a bit embarrased. My GP laughed at me once when I said I wanted to be a clinical psychologist. Most people think that I want to do this job to find out why i'm depressed, but I have a genuine interest in helping others and really enjoy studying the area of mental health. It's just getting past that stigma that is the problem.

Anyway, does anyone know anything about this? Thanks a lot.

Many MH charities started off by people with MH problems/history of and as time gone on many employers also have issues as it is what got them into the line of work first of.
I would ask them at the job and see what they think and maybe they can advise on other services where you can get a befriender.

As for your GP laughing at you. Ignore the idiot!

:) its definately worth a try right? ask the employer, they will have the best opinion on the matter

take care xx