London “It s is like someone turns on a light’ (Quote from MWIA participant about Personality Plus) Report of a Mental W

1. London “Its is like someone turns on a light’ • (Quote from MWIA participant about Personality Plus) Report of a Mental Well-being Impact Assessment (MWIA) • Belinda Sosinowicz • MWIA Facilitator • E: tapartproject@yahoo.co.uk • Date of MWIA: 23rd June 2008

2. Personality Plus is a user led Community Interest Company established in January 2007 to engage with people interested in using creativity to challenge the stigma experienced by people given a diagnosis of personality disorder. • Personality Plus promotes the unique and heightened capacity for creative expression and celebrates the extraordinary achievements of people who identify with the issues and symptoms surrounding this diagnosis.

3. The Impact of the Arts on Mental Health and Wellbeing The arts have been shown to have positive uses in mental healthcare. Staricoff (2004) cites studies that show how the arts can facilitate improved communication skills of mental health service users, helping relationships with family and mental health providers; provide ways for people to express themselves, stimulating creativity and enhancing self-esteem Literature, creative writing, poetry, theatre, drama and visual arts have been shown to help service users express themselves, increase control over their inner world, and help carers understand influences on their behaviour, promoting empathy between patients and staff. Music, singing and dancing can help patients to express themselves, recall events from their lives, and increase their range of movement.

5. TATE Modern: National launch event • The national event held at Tate Modern in October 2007, formally launched the organization. The event was an excellent collaboration between Tate Modern, Department of health, CSIP and Arts Council England. • Regional work showcased in the education studios and film auditorium • We showed: live performances, films, visual art, held participatory workshops, participative theatre, Open Space event, talks, debates, and Art into Life gallery workshops

6. Visual art shows with over 250 pieces of work

8. Participatory drawing and discussion workshops

9. Participative Theatre

10. Film Shows

11. The London Programme MWIA

12. The Mental Well-being Impact Assessment (MWIA) • The Mental Well-being Impact Assessment is a robust two part screening toolkit that enables people to consider the potential impacts of a policy, service or programme on mental health and well-being and can lead to the development of stakeholder indicators. • The toolkit brings together a tried and tested Health Impact Assessment methodology with the evidence around what promotes and protects mental well-being.

13. Theoretical Underpinning • The DOH Making it Happen Guidance for mental health promotion (2001) identifies four key areas that promote and protect mental well-being: • Enhancing Control • Increasing Resilience and Community Assets • Facilitating Participation • Promoting Inclusion • The MWIA is based on these four key areas and helps participants identify things about a policy, programme or service that impact on feelings of control, resilience, participation and inclusion and therefore their mental health and well-being. In this way the toolkit enables a link to be made between policies, Programmes or service and mental well-being that can be measured.

14. The Impact of Personality Plus London on Mental Health and Wellbeing AIMS OF THE MWIA ASSESSMENT ｷTo identify how Personality Plus London potentially impacts on the mental health and well-being of people with a diagnosis of personality disorder (NB mental health professionals and the public accessing project exhibitions were also discussed for some factors) ｷTo identify ways in which the project might maximise its positive impacts and minimise its negative impacts ｷTo develop indicators of mental well-being that can be used to measure, evaluate and improve the mental well being of people with a diagnosis of personality disorder.

15. The MWIA was held over 1 day with an ice breaking short exercise to begin: What does mental well-being mean to the stakeholders in the project? • The participants were asked to write down words they associate with mental well-being. They were then asked to group them into themes. • A number of themes emerged from this exercise. The table on the next slide summarises them in order of the theme with the largest number of statements first.

16. Ice Break outcome

18. The MWIA workshop • Participants were introduced to the factors and asked to think about Personality Plus London and rate how important they are to people with a diagnosis of personality disorder and the potential impact that the service could have on it. • Participants were then invited to work between themselves to identify which of the factors that contribute to a sense of control they felt Personality Plus London had the potential to have either a positive or negative impact, and the degree of importance of that impact. • Having identified these participants were invited to work through their top three priorities to identify in more detail the potential impacts and any recommendations that emerged.

19. Top 3 priorities- participation

21. Resilience and community assets

22. Creating healthy Networks- The Arts Social Network • A networking project to enable service users in attending cultural and creative events • Regular meeting at a designated cultural event/ site • Some will be focused around making and sharing creative work, others to experience, share and discuss events • Travel buddy system • Volunteer stewards at events • Information via text, e mail, web • Marketing via web • Clear travel details • Sites located in multi transport accessible locations

24. Actions taken from the MWIA that we have implemented: More people able to participate and able to benefit from events: build the network slowly so we can ensure: Feel valued and acknowledged Feel safe and valued • Provide required support and encouragement • Model positive behaviour- be welcoming • Exceptional- use of high quality events/ sites/ materials • Allow curiosity, let people bounce to and from the event Clear explicit information and documents (including in other formats – diversity) • Travel buddies • Clear maps • Use of email, text and phone to allow for flexibility of communication • Email details before each event, with telephone contact number and name for the event • Accessible venues for different transport routes • Accessible café to meet in before and for discussion after • Dedicated administrator and email address Develop a protocol for volunteers • Feedback system • Mental Health First Aid training for stewards • Clear information with boundaries

25. TATE Modern event, 18th November 2008 Launch of Arts and Social Network • Artists talks, debates and workshops • Gallery workshop and making co - led by Chair of BAAT (British Association of Art Therapy) • Experts by Experience- pod cast making session

26. Network Events 2009/10 • Bobby Baker Show- The Wellcome Trust • Tate Modern- Art into Life • Together Gallery- Theatre Tonic Performance

27. What next? • An MWIA is planned in late 2010 to analyze the impact the project is having • Continue building the network

28. Emergence is a service user-led organisation with the overarching aim of supporting all people affected by personality disorder including service users, carers, family & friends and professionals We aim to work collaboratively to: • Provide support, advice and information • Increase public and professional understanding of personality disorder • Challenge the associated stigma and social exclusion experienced by individuals affected by this diagnosis Stimulating further health and social policy responses into the prevention and treatment of personality disorder and the reduction of stigma and discrimination www.personality plus.org.uk www.emergenceplus.org.uk E:pplus@hotmail.com