SURGE

							Stockton User Representative
  Group for Empowerment

     S.U.R.G.E for short.



    www.mhserviceweb.info
            About SURGE
Started in 1999
 Covers the whole of the STOCKTON
  BOROUGH area.
 A local voluntary organisation
 Helps service users to have a voice and
  help shape local mental health services.
 Is now recognised and respected by local
  mental health professionals.

                 www.mhserviceweb.info       2
   Contact Details
            SURGE
Norton Community Resource Centre,
         Somerset Road,
        Stockton-on-Tees.
            TS20 2ND

          01642 647744

Email: surge_stockton@hotmail.com


          www.mhserviceweb.info     3
             Why is involvement so
                  important ?

 It can produce different insights
 It can make a positive difference to people’s lives
 Service users are more likely to engage with something that they
  feel is relevant and considers and respect their opinions, rather than
  having things imposed upon them
 Some members find they gain more confidence in themselves.
 Some service users find that their levels of self-esteem have risen.
 The more involved people are, the more likely they are to
  understand the treatments being offered to them

If you know a service user/ex service user who is interested in
    becoming involved please make sure they are aware of SURGE.



                           www.mhserviceweb.info                           4
       Concentrating on one of our major
                achievements.
USER VOICE.
SURGE members visit outreach groups, hospital wards and day centres to ask
  service users for their views, both positive and negative about their care. These
  views are then summarised and brought to meetings held on a quarterly basis
  with senior managers and staff within the area. The opinions are voiced
  anonymously .

These meetings are not the place to bring individual grievances but to discuss
   important issues with the aim of improving things where possible. The meetings
   are open to anyone who has an interest.

We are hoping to develop User Voice by getting opinions from a far wider cross
  section of service users. Any help or advice as to how to achieve that would be
  appreciated!




                                www.mhserviceweb.info                               5
                More achievements
o We have recently moved to difference office premises with full access
  for people with disabilities.

o SURGE members have :-
   o Attended Mental Health First Aid training.
   o Assisted by consultation , in the development of an (NHS Trustwide ) ,
     contacts leaflet that will be made available to all service users and carers.
   o The TEWV, Trust devised a procedure and strategy on how to effectively
     engage with service users and carers. We were actively engaged with the
     discussions and our comments were heard, which lead to certain changes.
   o Contributed to research being undertaken by the Mental Health Foundation
     regarding service users’ experience of discrimination.


o




                               www.mhserviceweb.info                             6
                                 …
                          SURGE members :-
                          Some members sit on local committees
                            such as :-
                           L.I.T.
                           CPA
                           Pharmacy reference Group
                          Help in the training of 5th year medical
                            students.
                          And have been involved with NHS
                          Staff interviews
As a result of funding from “Awards for All” we have purchased a
Laptop and projector to aid us with our presentations.
We have also recently received some money from “Comic Relief”
towards Running costs, maintaining the website and office equipment.

                          www.mhserviceweb.info                        7
So what are some of the comments people have
                  made ?

                                         Through “User Voice”
                                        We can convey to the staff
                                         our joys and concerns




                                A shortage of
                                 ADVOCACY
                                   locally



                                     Help us to find out
                               Information from other agencies


                www.mhserviceweb.info                                8
             And finally
 Thank you for listening. If you have enjoyed this
  presentation, please tell others (and us) We are
  happy to do a presentation about SURGE and/ or
  about mental illness to your group.
 If however, you have not enjoyed it, please also tell
  us, so that we can learn from our mistakes.
 Please be extra patient with us at the moment, as
  the involvement worker who helps us is on maternity
  leave !!!!
 And remember we ALL have


                www.mhserviceweb.info                     9
                 Most of them are
                       mad.
                 Don’t trust them.

                    They are
MYTHS              dangerous
                   and should

ABOUT             be locked up.



MENTAL ILLNESS
Myths regarding mental health
MYTH: People with mental health problems are violent.
FACT: High Profile and sensational media reporting
  perpetuates this myth, in truth most people
  suffering , are more likely to hurt themselves than
  anyone else.
MYTH: Only weak people have mental health problems
FACT : So what about Winston Churchill, Alistair
  Campbell, Annie Lennox, Frank Bruno, Ruby Wax,
  Monty Don, Stephen Hawking ? Just to name a few.
MYTH: You can “will” depression away.
FACT: Depression cannot be willed away any more
  than any other illness like heart disease or diabetes.
  It is caused by chemical changes in the brain and
  needs treatment.



                 www.mhserviceweb.info                  11
Myths regarding mental health
 MYTH :Depression is no different from getting the
    “blues”- and this is just a normal part of life.
FACT: Equating depression with the blues is like saying that
    a common cold is the same as pneumonia. Everyone gets
    the “blues”, usually in reaction to disappointment, or an
    upsetting event, or even a rainy day. Depression, on the
    other hand, can last a lifetime, and the illness is much
    more persistent and disabling. No one commits suicide
    because they have the blues.
 MYTH :Isn't schizophrenia a split personality?
 FACT: No. Too many people have the idea that someone with
    schizophrenia can appear perfectly normal at one
    moment, and change into a different person the next. This
    is not the case.
MYTH Depression does not affect children or
    teenagers.-It is just part of growing up.
FACT: We’d like to think all children have a happy childhood!
    Needless to say, that is not always true. Studies show that
    1 in 33 children and 1in 8 adolescents are depressed in
    any one year.


                         SURGE
               www.communigate.co.uk/ne/surge                12
Myths regarding mental health

MYTH: People who talk about suicide never attempt
  or complete it.
FACT: People who talk about their suicidal thoughts often
  do carry them out. Many people who complete suicide
  have told someone about their suicidal feelings in the
  weeks prior to their death.
 MYTH :Doesn't schizophrenia make people
  dangerous?
FACT:People who have schizophrenia are rarely
  dangerous. Any violent behaviour is usually sparked
  off by street drugs or alcohol, which is similar to
  people who don't suffer from schizophrenia.
MYTH Self harm is attention seeking behaviour.
FACT. Rarely, because many people actually hide their
  injuries. When someone harms themselves it is usually
  because they feel overwhelmed by recent or past
  events .Verbal expressions of how they feel can be too
  difficult, so they find other methods.

                 www.mhserviceweb.info                      13
And finally
   Thank you for listening. If you have enjoyed this
    presentation, please tell others (and us) We are
    happy to do a presentation about SURGE and/ or
    about mental illness to your group.
   If however, you have not enjoyed it, please also tell
    us, so that we can learn from our mistakes.
   Please be extra patient with us at the moment, as
    the involvement worker who helps us is on
    maternity leave !!!!
   And remember we ALL have




                  www.mhserviceweb.info                 14