Image, right: Shows the team at this month's ELFT People Participation Awards.
Congratulations to staff and service users in Bedfordshire & Luton CAMHS, who are through as finalists in this year's prestigious Positive Practice in Mental Health (PPiMH) Awards.
They have been selected by the judges for the category, Addressing Inequalities in Mental Health, for the work they have done to improve gender and sexual orientation equality.
Led by service users, the team devised a range of projects to raise awareness and embed improved practice, including how people are addressed on official documentation and forms - a very important advance in terms of reducing stigma and improving peoples' sense of wellbeing
LGBTQ+ young people face greater levels of depression, anxiety and suicidality; this is even truer for transgender and gender questioning young people. 92% of trans young people have thought about taking their own life; 84% of trans young people have self-harmed; 45% of trans young people have tried to take their own life.
Some of the feedback the team received included people saying that: "Knowing that CAMHS is making active steps to become active allies and to support LGBTQ+ young people is amazing."
Another shared: ‘Working in LGBTQ+ training allows my voice to be heard.’
Seventy people (staff and service users) are members of the reflective case forum. This space focuses on Gillick Competency and supporting parents through their child’s journey.
Over 350 CAMHS and Trust staff have attended workshops and feedback organised by the group.
Feedback from the sessions was extremely positive.
On being told that the team had made it through as finalists, Jay Worthington, Suicide Prevention, Digital Participation Lead & Participation Worker with CAMHS Beds and Luton said:
"To make it through as finalists for the national PPiMH Awards is such an honour.
"It means so much to work in such a supportive environment where we’re encouraged to speak about these things. It helps us drive for wider change, and having a voice in that is so empowering.
‘The project was designed, created and delivered by young people themselves. It is queer ran and has had a massive impact."
The final winners will be announced in Durham on 6 October. For more information visit PPiMHAwards here.