Truly understanding the individual
- Written by: Jess Austin — Creative Steps
- Published: 14th September 2023
The central role Community Links Practitioners play in supporting mental health care in Glasgow.
Creative Steps, based in Govan is a charitably run arts programme which supports individuals experiencing mental health difficulties in the south of Glasgow. We have worked directly with Community Links Practitioners (CLPs) from the early stages of the programme’s development and have found their understanding of the individual needs of service users to be both commendable and an invaluable part of the success of our programme.
We work to build the confidence and wellbeing of our participants through a 3-step programme focused on creative participation and peer support. The initial ‘Step 1’ stage of this programme brings our arts classes to places of treatment and we work closely with CLPs based within Resource Centres to facilitate these classes. By understanding the needs of service users on an individual basis, CLPs can recommend our classes to those who would get the most benefit from them. Consequently, those referred enjoy their experience with us, report feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment at what they have created and feel a closer connection to their community. Many go on to join us at our weekly Step 2 classes outwith their place of treatment, where they develop friendships and become increasingly more confident in their creative abilities-all leading to a greater sense of wellbeing.
Attending our classes, of course, is not the end of the story and participants continue to need the support of mental health services and their CLPs. Participants speak highly of their relationship with their CLP, sharing that they are encouraged to continue attending classes as part of their package of mental health support. CLPs also advocate for them, are available for them informally and during crisis and as much as the Creative Steps programme hopes to improve the confidence and wellbeing of its participants it is evident that CLPs contribute greatly to this too with their person-centred approach. It is clear that the service continues to be a vital and much welcomed part of mental health care in Glasgow.
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