In partnership with the North East and North Cumbria, Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Partnership, the trust has invested in the roles across County Durham to increase access to Structured Clinical Management (SCM), an evidence-based treatment which can help people to overcome their difficulties.
SCM supports mental health practitioners to work with people whose life experiences have led to difficulties with managing emotions, relationships and impulsivity, to really understand their difficulties and how these might relate to their past experiences.
The life experiences we have can impact on how we think, feel and behave and especially how we relate to others. Over time, if not addressed this can really affect people.
Dr Esther Pepperdine, Highly Specialised Clinical Psychologist and TEWV Structured Clinical Management Lead for adult mental health in Durham and Darlington
Structured clinical management helps people to identify their problem areas and to develop a crisis plan that supports them during any difficult times.
We work with people to form short and long-term goals for what they want to achieve and support them to develop the tools and skills to understand and manage their emotions. This can help them to understand others, improve their relationships and overcome the problems they’re facing.
Dr Esther Pepperdine, Highly Specialised Clinical Psychologist and TEWV Structured Clinical Management Lead for adult mental health in Durham and Darlington
The SCM intervention is providing people in County Durham who are living with relational and emotional difficulties with increased planned contact and more intensive input. Participants in the programme are offered weekly one-to-one appointments to discuss any difficulties they might be having, as well as weekly group work and treatment usually lasts between 12 and 18 months.
The move is part of the Durham Community Mental Health Transformation Programme, which sees national investment from NHS England designed to improve the support for people with severe mental illness to live well in their local communities.
The new practitioners are aligned to the community mental health teams across the region and have been providing the approach to a number of service users, as well as supporting their teams to adopt the approach.
The biggest change is focus on self-care, rather than being told what to do. I’ve now got choices and ownership over my journey and that’s helping make a real difference.
TEWV service user, Matty, who has benefitted from the SCM approach
The SCM practitioners can help provide new ways of working with patients, providing different options for treatment, rather than a focus on just one approach or medication alone. It has really helped transform how we work as a team and helped build confidence too.
Dr Beverley Fairclough, Consultant Psychiatrist at Durham East Community Mental Health Team, TEWV
