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Mental health tool
supporting young people's mental health receives innovation funding
A new therapeutic tool designed to
support children and young people's mental health will receive a boost of over
£130,000 following Health Education England (HEE) and Department of Health
funding.
The tool, called Team of Life Kit, was created by Cheshire and Wirral
Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP), and encourages young people to develop
awareness of their achievements, skills and the relationships they value. The
HEE investment will enable the Trust to train health professionals, teachers,
and student peer mentors to use the tool, therefore benefiting a wider
proportion of the local young population. It will also enable a thorough
research evaluation of its therapeutic outcomes to be led led by Dr Helen Sharp
at the University of Liverpool's Institute of Psychology, Health and Society.
This Team of Life project aims to promote resilience in vulnerable young people
at early secondary school age; a key time of transition. It consists of a
narrative therapy approach, and uses sporting metaphors to help young people to
recognise the strength and resilience in their 'life teams'. The approach was
originally developed by the Dulwich Centre Foundation to support former child
soldiers in Uganda.
Dr Vicky Eames, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Team of Life project lead,
said:- "This is a very exciting time for the project. There is a lot of
interest in emotional wellbeing and resilience within schools and this funding
will help us to ensure we find sustainable ways to support schools to deliver
this innovative intervention as well as the opportunity to demonstrate
effectiveness in improving outcomes for children and young people."
Sheena Cumiskey, CWP Chief Executive, said:- "I'm thrilled that the Team
of Life project has been recognised for its innovative approach. The programme
is already helping many vulnerable young people locally, and this funding will
help us to expand that reach even further. As a Trust we are committed to
supporting new ideas that will make a positive difference to people's lives."
Professor Lisa Bayliss-Pratt, Director of Nursing and Deputy Director of
Education and Quality at HEE, added:- "We are excited by this initiative
as it will provide an ideal opportunity to introduce and enhance services to
transform the lives of children and young people. This additional funding means
that children, young people and their families can get the tailored support they
need through the delivery of improved, more accessible mental health and
wellbeing services to ensure they are not only well supported, but thrive, which
will transform the care and lives of many across the country."
The Team of Life tool is a fun and interactive group-based intervention. It
brings children and young people together in teams, identifying the 'team
mates'
who make up the key support people in their lives. The programme highlights
skills for 'tackling problems', 'avoiding obstacles' and
'scoring goals' in life, sharing and celebrating stories of achievement, hope and
survival to support them in 'scoring' their life goals and overcoming
obstacles.
For more information about Team of Life visit CWP's child and adolescent mental
health website.
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