The NSHN Forum UK
NSHN Forum Support & On Topic Forums. Some additional boards are viewable to members only => Survivor Room => Topic started by: justine on March 30, 2012, 08:40:50 PM
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Hi,
I really want to work in mental health, but i'm not sure where to work. I figured as a lot of people on this site have contact with people working in mental health. I have done research, but I can't find much information. I really want to help people, I like the idea of diagnosing mental illnesses, and working with people with mental health issues in general.
I've looked into being a mental health nurse, and that would be perfect, except for the nursing part. I don't think I could be that hands on, taking blood and doing stitches.
I want to help. I work in an office at the moment, and am happy to do so but i'd really like to be working with mental health.
Any ideas?
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Most mh nurses dont do hands on really its more the talky stuff, especially if you work in the community, but it also applies to all the mh nurses ive come across as an ip too. Though giving injections would probably be necessary eg anti-psychotic depot. What about social work? my cc at the cmht is a sw and she does essentially the same role as a cpn.
There is also the counsellor/therapist/psychologist side of things to look at.
To do diagnosing, im pretty sure you'd have to be a dr and that would involve more hands on as you have to general training before you specialise in psychiatry.
From the advice and encouragement you give on here I think you'd make a good mh worker :)
Hope that helps, even just a little bit.
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Thanks for the reply, and yes I think I would be good at itm it's mostly the nursing bit that puts me off. It's the talky stuff that I'm interested in, injections Iguess I could do, as long as my job is mainly talking with the occasional injection. I don't want to do too much study work for it either, as in I need a job. The mental health nursing is an option though, as I know a bit about it already, even though it's 4 years, it involves working too so that would be ok. Hmm, social worker may be something to look into. a counsellor would be good, but it seems that if I don't train much, i will never get a well enough paid job, else I have to do 6 years of uni to get a masters in it, which is too much for me.
Thanks though, it helps give me something to think about
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ya try your best dont give up be happy good day :hug1:
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thanks x
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Perhaps a quick chat with something like 'Mind' would help? Think they can help point in the right directions career wise, training wise, worth a call?
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ooh that sounds good, I'll give it a go :) thanks x
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I volunteer with Mind and work 1 : 1 with people experiencing distress. There's a lot of volunteering you could do to get some experience and a foot in the door.
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hope you don't mind me butting in. But I am interested to hear you volunteer for Mind. I would be interested in volunteering in some sort of capacity that would help people who have experienced mental health problems but at the moment find the m/h tag as putting would be employers off. Would such org's such as Mind be more helpful in giving work to s.o who is still having m/h problems?
Hubby is moaning about being on here now saying it will make me worse instead of trying to get better !!
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It's ok, of course you can talk about mind her :).
What do you actually do when you volunteer? what does it involve? I had thought about just getting a normal office job, but in a mental health hospital or something, and volunteering to work closer with people
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I work as a therapuetic assessor, I give 50 minutes appts to clients, assessing them for counselling and groups such as self esteem or anger management. It also involves carrying out a risk assessment and means I can have to involve other agencies if someone is presenting as a risk to themselves or others.
Bernie I have been open with the fact that I am also a service user and my manager told me that plenty of people who volunteer or who work for Mind have personal experience either as a service user or a carer.
At my branch there are over 80 volunteers in 27 roles.
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did you need any qualifications to get that role? it sounds like something I wold enjoy doing, I'm not sure i'd have the time for it though.
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They didn't ask for specific qualifications, to get the job I had a group interview which was a group discussion (which I think you'd do great at).
They say it's fine if people just volunteer an hour a week, how much you give is totally up to you.
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i wish i was u i love helping people with problems :hyper: :penguinswirl:
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just as well your on this site then greenday :) That's good to know, I'll think about asking mind about it