RDaSHSpring Term Prospectus 2015

13 January to 26 March 2015

Welcome to the Options Recovery College in NorthLincolnshire

What we do

We offer a range of recovery focused educational courses, which are aimed at supporting people to make the most of their talents and skills through self-management, enabling them to deal with their mental health challenges and helping them achieve the things they want in life.

Our courses offer opportunities to gain an understanding of the issues that challenge our mental health, begin the journey of recovery and offer the hope that taking control and self-management can bring.

All our courses offer a welcoming environment with small friendly groups. They are free of charge, and available to everyone, whether you have experience of mental health challenges, are a family member, loved one or friend of someone with mental health challenges, or a member of Trust staff.

We have six core courses which vary in content, length and learning. All students will receive help with:

• Enrolment and Individual Learning Plan

• Understanding of mental health issues

• Building your life

• Developing life skills

• Physical health and wellbeing

• Getting involved.

Our aim is to break down barriers between ‘us’ and ‘them’. Where possible, our courses will be co-produced and co-delivered by people who have had experience of mental health challenges and those with professional experience. We will also be able to direct you to courses run by other agencies.

Register with us

To register with the Options Recovery College, you can write to us at Sandfield House, 297 Ashby High Street, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN16 2RY. Phone us on (01724) 275959, or email us at: optionsrecoverycollege@rdash.nhs.uk

When we receive your registration, we will contact you to arrange an appointment with one of our workers to discuss your learning requirements.

Equality and diversity

We are committed to making our services accessible to all, and our building offers disabled access and facilities. We will respect you as an individual at all times, and believe everyone should be given the opportunity to succeed.

Learning support

We offer information, advice and guidance about our courses and their content. We will prepare your individual learning plan together with you, identifying your goals, hopes and ambitions for your recovery journey. We help you choose the best courses to achieve these goals. At intervals during your study we will speak to you about your progress, offering support and guidance and identifying any problems.

Within the learning plan there is opportunity to discuss any learning support needs that you may have, from an educational or mental health perspective. We will then do everything we can to support you in the direction you wish to proceed.

General information

All of the core courses in this prospectus will be delivered at the Options Recovery College, which is based at Sandfield House in Ashby, Scunthorpe, unless otherwise stated.

We’re award winning - it’s official!

We recently received the RDaSH Chairman’s Award for partnership working.

From left to right: Options Team Secretary Emma Chennells,

RDaSH Chairman Lawson Pater; Options Recovery College Manager

Sue Watson and Volunteer Christopher Duncan.

Enrolment andIndividualLearning Plan

1. Enrolment and Individual Learning Plan

When you enrol with the Options Recovery College you will complete your Individual Learning Plan (ILP) with a worker.

This plan is designed to help you identify your specific learning goals for the term, in relation to your hopes, goals and ambitions for your personal recovery journey.

At this point you have the opportunity to book on to courses you have expressed an interest in, and also discuss any learning needs you may have.

To enquire about, or enrol with the Options Recovery College please contact us at Sandfield House, 297 Ashby High Street, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN16 2RY. Phone us on (01724) 275959, or email us at: optionsrecoverycollege@rdash.nhs.uk where we will be happy to help.

2. Your Options Recovery College experience

Following your initial meeting to discuss your Individual Learning Plan you will be able to choose up to three courses per term in the Recovery College.

When you complete one of our courses, your Individual Learning Plan will be reviewed with you and you will be given the opportunity to enrol on courses in the next term of the Recovery College if you wish. We will also give you information on other courses available within the community that you may be able to access. Please see the back of this prospectus for a list of other RDaSH services and agencies we work in partnership with.

Core courses

Managing low mood

Wednesday 14 January - 28 January 1.30pm - 3pm

Wednesday 18 February - 4 March 1.30pm - 3pm

When you are depressed or low in mood it can affect every part of your life. It may be tough to get yourself going and things you used to take in your stride can seem difficult.

This three week course explores alternative practical steps that people have found useful in managing their experiences.

There will be a strong focus on personal experiences of depression and low mood, with an emphasis on introducing and reflecting on practical ideas and approaches.

You will be invited to share your experiences if you feel comfortable in doing this.

Managing anxiety and stress

Tuesday 13 January - 3 February 10am - 12 noon

Tuesday 24 February – 17 March 10am - 12 noon

• Is it possible to manage anxiety and stress?

• Can things change for the better?

• Can I help myself?

If you are asking yourself any of these questions and your answer is yes, this course could be for you.

This four week course examines the causes of stress and anxiety. It gives you practical advice, methods and activities that have a good record of success in helping alleviate the symptoms of stress and anxiety.

It helps you look at your own situation and build up a tool kit to lessen and manage anxiety and stress in your life.

Core courses

Assertiveness and confidence building

Tuesday 13 January – 3 February 1.30pm - 3pm

Tuesday 24 February – 17 March 1.30pm - 3pm This four week course looks at assertiveness as a way to communicate confidently and effectively. It will show you how to affirm your rights without ignoring the views of others, and help you to express your point of view without appearing threatening.

The course focuses on assertive behaviour as the best way to communicate successfully. It looks at assertive rights, assertive thinking, body language, expressing feelings, saying no and dealing with criticism.

The main objective of this course is to develop an understanding of assertiveness and equip you to be assertive in difficult situations. It may involve discussion, hand outs, group involvement and informal sharing of personal experiences if you are comfortable with this.

Positive wellbeing

Thursday 15 January – 12 February 10am - 12noon

Thursday 26 February – 26 March 10am - 12noon

We are all prone to emotional distress when under physical or environmental stress in our everyday lives. This five week course aims to provide skills and knowledge to help reduce our vulnerability to such stresses through a series of targeted skill sessions.

Over the course we target practical skills to deal with distressing thoughts, learn how to effectively use a staged approach to problem solving and gain an understanding and practical skills to reduce our emotional vulnerability.

Core courses

A good night’s sleep: Ways of managing sleep problems

Friday 6 February 10am - 12 noon

Friday 27 March 10am - 12 noon

Having difficulty getting off to sleep at night? Waking up early in the morning?Spending the night tossing and turning?

This two hour session will help you understand sleep and ways of dealing with sleep problems by examining:

• What is a normal night’s sleep

• What causes sleep difficulties

• How changing habits and lifestyle can help

• Natural remedies.

Introduction to Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)

Friday 16 January 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Friday 20 March 1.30pm - 3.30pm

This 90 minute session will introduce you to the principles of developing your own Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP).

Your WRAP is about you. It gives you the opportunity to consider options that are available to help you change your life for the better.

The session explores each section of the WRAP. It will give you a working knowledge of how it works. It helps signpost people to further support within the community if they wish to develop their own plan.

Core courses

Dealing with distress

Wednesday 25 February 10am - 12noon

Friday 27 March 1.30pm - 3.30pm When feeling distressed we normally react automatically without thinking and can often get into a habit of using unhelpful and often self-destructive behaviours.

This two hour course helps you learn new healthy coping skills which help us feel better about ourselves, by learning to understand and see our thoughts differently; this will enable us to cope better in times of distress.

Mindfulness

Friday 16 January 10am - 11.30am

Friday 13 February 10am - 11.30am

Friday 20 March 10am - 11.30am

• Do you spend the majority of your time worrying about the future?

• Do you often dwell on past events?

During this session, we will focus on mindfulness and being able to combat these worries by being aware of the present moments, and learning to accept these moments without judgement. Mindfulness is helpful for anyone who wants to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

Short taster sessions

Managing low mood

Wednesday 25 March 10am – 3pm

If you have personal experience of low mood or depression, or you provide support for someone who does, then this five hour session is for you. It will allow you to share your experiences and challenges. You will begin to explore ways of coping with and managing your low mood through learning new skills and coping strategies.

Don’t have time to come for the full course, or fancy a taster session before you enrol? Then try one of our short taster sessions:

Anxiety management

Wednesday 18 March 10am – 1pm

Wednesday 4 February 10am – 1pm

This three hour taster session is for people who have personal experience of anxiety and stress, or if you provide support for somebody who does, this half day taster session will provide you with an overview of stress and anxiety and a guide to the techniques that can be used to manage associated symptoms. It will be informal and interactive.

One day – Assertiveness and confidence building

Tuesday 24 March 10am – 3pm

This session will explore techniques of assertiveness that express and promote the feelings, wishes, wants and desires. Assertiveness can help you to express yourself in a clear, open and reasonable way, without undermining the rights of yourself or others. It enables you to act in your own best interest, stand up for yourself without undue anxiety, increasing your confidence and self-esteem. The course will include hand-outs and group discussions.

Interested in becoming a peer support worker?

Have you got experience of being a mental health service user?

Would you like to help others?

If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then you may wish to consider being a peer support worker with the Options Recovery College.

If you are interested and want more information on how to apply for our peer support worker course, please email Sue Watson atsue.watson@rdash.nhs.uk, or phone (01724) 275959.

Mental health support available online

We commissioned seven films to make our most regularly run seminars on mood and anxiety more easily available via the internet.

Mood management deals with challenging negative thoughts and practical steps that people can use to manage low mood more effectively.

Anxiety management helps people understand how anxiety and panic affects them and their life, by showing them how to develop coping strategies and breathing exercises when it becomes problematic.

To view this support online go to:

http://www.youtube.com/user/rdashcommunications/videos?view=0

Or search for our RDaSH channel on You Tube.

Other RDaSH services

The Junction and Community Alcohol Service

The Junction and Community Alcohol Service is run by RDaSH in partnership with the Alcohol and Drug Service (ADS) to provide a range of drug and alcohol services in North Lincolnshire.

The service runs afternoon drug and alcohol awareness sessions from the Community Alcohol Service, 86 Oswald Road, Scunthorpe DN15 7PA.

These sessions include education on drugs and alcohol, and information where people can access further help and support, as well as details of the recovery activities taking place in the community, such as the STRIVE Recovery Café and mutual aid sessions.

The service also has a new drugs box, which helps people identify different substances, and staff can provide information on the risks associated with these.

For more information, please phone Practice Lead Laura Jarvis on (01724) 855591.

POIESIS Team – Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)

The RDaSH POIESIS Team helps people suffering with common mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety, providing advice and consultation and therapy to people aged 18 and over.

• Stress control

We offer a free six week stress control course in two hour sessions, to help you learn how to manage stress more effectively. It is available to anyone over the age of 18, living in North Lincolnshire who is experiencing the symptoms of stress, and helps them learn new skills to manage these more symptoms more effectively.

We try to hold the course in local venues such as libraries or community centres, so it’s easy for people to get to, and we often run the courses in the evening to fit in around work and family commitments.

Stress control is an educational course delivered to an audience and comes with free written information all about stress and ways of looking after yourself. You will not be expected to share any personal information or experiences with any other person on the course, or answer any questions. All you need to do is listen.

You do not need a referral from a doctor or health professional and can even bring along a friend or relative for support.

The course is not suitable to anyone with major alcohol or drug issues, or people with thoughts of self-harm. Please contact your doctor for help with either of these problems.

For more information, please see the leaflets included in this prospectus, phone us direct on (01724) 867297, or drop in to the Talking Shop, 19 Market Hill, Scunthorpe DN15 6SS.

For full details on all the services RDaSH provides in North Lincolnshire, please visit our website at: www.rdash.nhs.uk

Coping with Life Courses

We offer a range of seven ‘Coping with Life’ courses. These include:

• Coping with stress

• Managing your anger

• Managing depression

• Managing anxiety

• Building self esteem

• Assertiveness skills

• Coping with loss and change

Please contact the centre for details of course times and availability.

Scunthorpe and District MindScunthorpe and District Mind is an independent local charity affiliated to the national mental health charity Mind, offering a range of courses to promote positive mental health and provide an opportunity for people to improve their wellbeing.

Courses are delivered at our centre in Printers Yard, Fenton Street, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN15 6QX. For more information please phone us on (01724) 279500, or have a look at our website: www.sdmind.org.uk

Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP)

1.30pm - 3.30pm every Tuesday afternoon

WRAP is a way to manage your own health and can be used for both physical and mental health issues. WRAP gives you the chance to develop your own personal plan to manage and improve your health by increasing your awareness and by developing new ways to feel better. The two hour session includes discussion about part of the WRAP plan and a taster session giving people the chance to try new ‘wellness tools’. These taster sessions very from week to week and include a variety of topics such as relaxation, healthy eating as well as fun activities. This is a rolling programme so you can attend as often as you wish without committing to regular weekly sessions.

Partner agency services

Mental Health First Aid

Please contact the centre for details of course times and details.

This course is much mare than a mental health awareness course. Delivered over two days it provides those attending with the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge needed to provide help to someone experiencing a mental health problem. More information about the course can be found at http://mhfaengland.org/

If you would like access to any of our services please phone to book an initial appointment on (01724) 279500.

North Lincolnshire Council

Partner agency services

Voluntary Action North LincolnshireVoluntary Action North Lincolnshire (VANL) is a council for voluntary service (CVS), which supports, promotes and develops the voluntary and commercial sectors.

VANL plays a crucial role in the North Lincolnshire community, supporting voluntary organisations with their needs, so they can better serve the people they are there to support, as well as helping people who are experiencing a range of difficulties to realise their ambitions through volunteering, training and in-recovery planning.

Learning for Change

The Learning for Change (L4Change) programme has emerged from close identification of learning and support needs within our local community.

The programme will specifically offer and individualised learning approach for people who may face formidable barriers to community engagement, employment and volunteering.

For more information, please phone us on (01724) 845155, visit our website: www.vanl.org.uk/training/learning-for-change/ and www.vanl.org.uk/volunteering, or drop in to see us at 4-6 Robert Street, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN15 6NG.

Coping with Life CoursesAdult Community Learning Programme

North Lincolnshire Council Adult Community Learning Programme offers a varied range of adult education courses at the following venues:> Ashby Link Adult Community Learning, Ashby High Street, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN16 2UT. Phone (01724) 862217.> Barton Adult Community Centre, Providence House, Holdyke, Barton-upon- Humber, North Lincolnshire, DN18 5PR. Phone (01724) 296811.

For more information please email: adultcommunitylearning.enquiries@northlincs.gov.uk or visit the website at: http://aq.be/a2beff

Community Wellbeing Hubs

The Community Wellbeing Hubs provide the local community with activities and information, so individuals can remain active and retain their independence.

There is a wide range of activities for all ages and abilities, information, advice and support for those who need it, as well as access to services and volunteering opportunities.

The hubs are based at:> Barton: Tofts Road, DN18 5NF> Brigg: Horstead Avenue, DN20 8PX> Epworth: High Street, DN9 1EP> Scunthorpe: Alvingham Road, DN16 2DP.

For more information on how to register at your local hub, please phone (01724) 277906.

Rethink Mental IllnessRethink Mental Illness help millions of people affected by mental illness by challenging attitudes, changing lives. This course is being run by Rethink’s North Lincolnshire Carer Service:

Caring and coping

Thursday 22 January to 26 February 1.30pm – 5pm

Do you support a relative, friend or neighbour due to their mental illness? If so this is the course for you.

The caring and coping course is new it builds on 15 years of carer education and experience at Rethink Mental illness,

It runs over six weekly sessions and provides an opportunity for carers to develop their practical skills in the areas of communication, coping strategies and self-help.

The sessions include:

Session one – increasing understanding of mental illness, mental health and the mental health system

Session two – developing skills in identifying and solving problems

Session three – improving confidence and communication skills

Session four – developing skills in looking after yourself

Session five – learning from each other in a supportive environment

Session six – dealing with challenges.

Partner agency services

RDaSH

Sandfield House, 297 Ashby High Street, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN16 2RY.Phone us on (01724) 275959, or email us at: optionsrecoverycollege@rdash.nhs.uk