We are often asked where our Members come from.
Members are referred to Designs in Mind from Mental Health services across Shropshire. We currently have 24 referral partners including the Redwoods Centre; Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT) and Assertive Outreach Teams in Oswestry, Market Drayton, Shrewsbury; Early Intervention Psychosis (EIP); GP practices across Oswestry, Ellesmere and North East Shropshire, and Shrewsbury.
Oswestry CMHT have described the importance of Designs in Mind to their clients.
“Service users value being in an environment where illness is not talked about and is not medicalised, where they can escape and have a bit of relief from illnesses. They can be supported and people understand illness without having to talk about and focus on illness.
They value the peer support and the element of distraction. It helps promote positive self-esteem and increase confidence. It is valuable as a facility where people can develop social contact and build friendships – especially important when people are very isolated. It is also valuable in people learning new skills – this has worked well with many clients who are inspired and take up new interests and even take things home to work on and develop.
Overall I think it is the ethos; the creative and inspiring aspects which promote positive mental health in an inclusive, friendly and non-clinical environment which are valued. It is an important and much valued service which has helped people to take steps towards structuring their days and weeks and finding new roles, and new skills. Through contributing positively this reinforces a positive sense of identity and esteem which help greatly towards recovery, potentially moving on towards independence and employment.”
We are currently designing a cook book and as part of this project one of our Members designed a map that shows where everyone comes from.