I've worked in different CMHT for years. I've seen how patients get mistreated, how they don't get taken seriously, ignored, laughed at; its awful. On behalf of the mental health system in the UK, I'm sorry. I wish we had more money so we could give the care people need and deserve. It's making me question so many things.
At least you can see it! Don't beat yourself up or be sorry, I'm sure you are doing all that you can. Unfortunately as you said funding is a big problem, also some of the other CMHT are not....very helpful lol. Thank you for recognizing us and welcome.
I think not very helpful is a big understatement... I went in to the job because I genuinely cared and wanted to help, but you're so restricted with what you can do, it's impossible
I've met a few people like you in the cmht, that want to help but can't. It's a big problem on both sides. I don't really know what else to say. When trying to deal with a problem that leads you here, it's not a good thing. I can't really think of the mental gymnastics your mind's doing when working 'on the inside' but also here.
Sending good vibes and virtual hugs!
Sending good vibes and virtual hugs!
It's nice to know that not everyone on the other end buys into the system, it is failing everyone.
Do you have any more specific issues with it?
Do you have any more specific issues with it?
Fair play to you. Yes lack of money and resources are to blame for much of it. But some of it is also attitude. I was disgusted at how I was made to feel like everything I thought and felt was worthless and needed to be corrected by drugs. All I needed was someone to just listen to me and help me deal with my medical issues. All I got was discrimination from exactly the people who should know better. I'll never trust them again.
GoodPersonEffed
Brevity is my middle name, but my name was TL
- Jan 11, 2020
- 6,727
What does CMHT stand for?
In the US, we have CMHCs, community mental health centers. I myself worked in one for several years, and later engaged in the services of another.
In the US, it's a system that was created so that people with low incomes could have community support for mental health issues rather than be unjustifiably imprisoned in mental wards. It was started as a result of President Kennedy's sister being abused by the mental health system and being permanently damaged by a lobotomy. Part of the subsequent survivor/consumer movement of the 70s was to get people free not only from imprisonment in wards, but to be free from treatments to which they did not consent, including medications.
Today, CMHCs are funded by Medicare, Medicaid, and grants (sometimes folks who receive Medicare are rejected as it may cost the organization more in effort to get the funding to cover the services, so only the most severely disempowered people get services, and depending on the CMHC and current trends, the system can be additionally disempowering for the "consumers" of their services. Also, many clients cannot afford the Medicare copays, so the CMHCs stopped accepting the clients since they could not pay their portions). The funders determine the treatment -- increasingly, it must be evidence-based and goal-based/solution-focused. It is less and less humane, less supportive of healing, and increasingly disempowering when the ostensible purpose of therapy is to help people connect with their own empowerment. The practitioners themselves are disempowered, and that trickles down to the clients.
At the CMHC where I received services, they set a rule that one could not receive therapy without also receiving psychiatric med services. My condition did not warrant meds and I refused unnecessary treatment, so I could not continue with the therapy and other services...which ultimately was not such a big loss, anyway. It wasn't so valuable that I was willing to comply with the invasive and unnecessary intrusion of a psych med provider. I didn't require monitoring, let alone meds that would have no impact on my non-organic condition.
How is the CMHT system similar to or different from how I presented the CMHC system in the States? I am aware it is part of the NHS, which makes determinations as do funding sources in the US for the receipt of healthcare services, such as the role private insurance plays to dictate, as much as the other sources I mentioned dictate CMHC services.
In the US, we have CMHCs, community mental health centers. I myself worked in one for several years, and later engaged in the services of another.
In the US, it's a system that was created so that people with low incomes could have community support for mental health issues rather than be unjustifiably imprisoned in mental wards. It was started as a result of President Kennedy's sister being abused by the mental health system and being permanently damaged by a lobotomy. Part of the subsequent survivor/consumer movement of the 70s was to get people free not only from imprisonment in wards, but to be free from treatments to which they did not consent, including medications.
Today, CMHCs are funded by Medicare, Medicaid, and grants (sometimes folks who receive Medicare are rejected as it may cost the organization more in effort to get the funding to cover the services, so only the most severely disempowered people get services, and depending on the CMHC and current trends, the system can be additionally disempowering for the "consumers" of their services. Also, many clients cannot afford the Medicare copays, so the CMHCs stopped accepting the clients since they could not pay their portions). The funders determine the treatment -- increasingly, it must be evidence-based and goal-based/solution-focused. It is less and less humane, less supportive of healing, and increasingly disempowering when the ostensible purpose of therapy is to help people connect with their own empowerment. The practitioners themselves are disempowered, and that trickles down to the clients.
At the CMHC where I received services, they set a rule that one could not receive therapy without also receiving psychiatric med services. My condition did not warrant meds and I refused unnecessary treatment, so I could not continue with the therapy and other services...which ultimately was not such a big loss, anyway. It wasn't so valuable that I was willing to comply with the invasive and unnecessary intrusion of a psych med provider. I didn't require monitoring, let alone meds that would have no impact on my non-organic condition.
How is the CMHT system similar to or different from how I presented the CMHC system in the States? I am aware it is part of the NHS, which makes determinations as do funding sources in the US for the receipt of healthcare services, such as the role private insurance plays to dictate, as much as the other sources I mentioned dictate CMHC services.
Soulless_Angel
existence is futile
- Jul 10, 2019
- 2,225
wanderinglost
Member
- Mar 22, 2020
- 77
this is me right now lol took years to get a cmht worker in the NW and after getting her and a ton of promises i never saw her again...due to covid apparently im on one basic u ok? phone call a week which have stopped being even that regular...cheers Greater Manchester .
If u are not gonna do it please just do nothing
If u are not gonna do it please just do nothing
SpottedPanda
I'm all about coffee and cigarettes
- Jul 24, 2019
- 612
I think it boils down to a system failure, all in all. The system is just broken. There are good psychiatric staff, including doctors, and poor ones. There are even a few bad ones, with ill intent.
It must be frustrating if you do care about proper care, from both sides, but there are good cops, poor cops, and bad cops. Policing at its heart could stand to improve. It's the same with mental health. It's just underfunded and ill thought out.
It must be frustrating if you do care about proper care, from both sides, but there are good cops, poor cops, and bad cops. Policing at its heart could stand to improve. It's the same with mental health. It's just underfunded and ill thought out.
Their attitude was...think how we want you to think, feel what we want you to feel. No? Then see someone who will tell you what to think and feel. No? Then take drugs to make you do this. No? Then you are not engaging. But you have been on to use constantly for a social services care needs assessment, which we promised but don't want to do because it's too much hard work and didn't involve am easy prescription...no, we don't see that as engaging, engaging is taking the drugs so you will be quiet then we can tick our job done boxes.
Disengenous false promises and beurocracy for the most part. Ah I sound so cynical lol well hey I just have experience.
Disengenous false promises and beurocracy for the most part. Ah I sound so cynical lol well hey I just have experience.
@Outspokenincare
I would like to speak to you if you don't mind. I tried to PM to you but I don't know why I can't send messages. Is there any other possibility to talk with you?
Sorry for offtopic
I would like to speak to you if you don't mind. I tried to PM to you but I don't know why I can't send messages. Is there any other possibility to talk with you?
Sorry for offtopic
My belief is that you go into that type of work because you care, and majority of them don't. The psychologist and psychiatrist probably do but they just throw medication at the patients. There needs to be a huge push on person centered treatment.
I'm sorry you had to go through all that.
It's pretty much similar. For most places you have to be referred by your Dr. You get assessed and then they either give you a community nurse or care coordinator to help you deal with your problems. It's supposed to be reviewed twice a year but that hardly ever happens. Anyone can access it and it's completely free. But as it's extremely underfunded the staff caseloads are insane so unfortunately not all patients receive the care that they deserve
Yes sure, what about? I'm new on here so need to be on for another day I think before I can send messages!
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@Outspokenincare
Aaa, ok :) I'm also a med-worker, I see you have a lot of experience and probably you care if you came voluntary here. I just thought that it can be really nice to talk (in general)
Aaa, ok :) I'm also a med-worker, I see you have a lot of experience and probably you care if you came voluntary here. I just thought that it can be really nice to talk (in general)
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wanderinglost
Member
- Mar 22, 2020
- 77
@Outspokenincare I agree there needs to be a push in person centred care. It's not one size fits all. Some would benefit from medication, some from counselling, some both, some neither.
We are individuals and have complex cases. There are caring individuals in the profession but the system is gimped by lack of resources and naive and disjointed preconceptions of how mental health works.
It's unfortunate that many on here have negative experiences of the people they turned to for help. But there are also those on here who have documented positive experiences also, and when that happens the effort of the professionals does not go unnoticed.
We are individuals and have complex cases. There are caring individuals in the profession but the system is gimped by lack of resources and naive and disjointed preconceptions of how mental health works.
It's unfortunate that many on here have negative experiences of the people they turned to for help. But there are also those on here who have documented positive experiences also, and when that happens the effort of the professionals does not go unnoticed.
