Andrew Strong, Assistant Director (Policy and Communications), at the ALLIANCE, has written a great piece about a new model for mental health support that could help break down power imbalances between service users and staff.
At the Hub a lot of the ground work we do is aimed at shifting the power dynamics in ‘systems’ that we see all around us. NHS Health Scotland say that within Health and Social Care, “power exists in the relationships between people and groups of people, sometimes organised and sometimes not.”
The Open Dialogue approach, the subject of the Health and Social Care Academy’s latest research report, is a model of support designed for people experiencing psychosis pioneered in Finland, also seeks to change this power dynamic. It is not a radical alternative – but more a shift in approach away from traditional psychiatry – placing the emphasis on discussion about the best way forward that includes people with mental health problems, families, friends, and professionals in designing solutions.
Read the full story on the ALLIANCE website
