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Speakers...
Here's the list of speakers. Click on any name to get further information and to send a message.
| Name | Perspective | Involved in research? | Location | Type of Engagement |
| Training | Speech | Radio | Video |
| Alison C | Service User | Yes | London |  |
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"Alison Cameron graduated from Aberdeen University with a degree in Russian. This led her to forge a successful career in International Relations for which she won several major awards notably for her humanitarian work in the Chernobyl zone. Her career was cut short when she became ill with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after her involvement in an accident in which her colleagues were killed. She received and continues to receive, treatment from Mental Health Services within Kensington and Chelsea. She has found that her long journey back to recovery enabled her to build up a wealth of knowledge about mental illness and its treatment. She became aware that service users have a unique insight into the realities of obtaining effective treatment and resolved to put her experiences to good use. She is now a passionate advocate of service user involvement at all levels from peer support to active participation in service development both for the potential positive effects on the individual user as well as on the services in which they are engaged. She gives frequent talks on her experiences to practitioners and service users, has contributed to numerous publications, sits on her Borough’s Dual Diagnosis Steering Group and runs support groups for people with co-existing Mental Health and Substance Misuse issues. In 2007, she was elected as a Service User Governor for Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and is fully committed to ensuring that the Trust listens to and acts upon the views of its members." |
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| Alison O | Service User | No | Leeds | |
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I have a wealth of experiences which I am happy to share, as a person who has recovered from sexual abuse, self harm and mood disorder. I have experience of conference speaking, workshops and delivering training.
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| Andy | Service User | No | Doncaster | |
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"Up until 2005 I was, on the surface, a successful competent head teacher, in a primary school in an area of great social deprivation. I had a breakdown. What followed was four years of deep depression and anxiety. I am working for rethink as an involvement worker giving a presentation on my experience of losing my job, the benefits system, the services offered me, my slow road to recovery following my retirement from education. Having attended three interventions I have been invited to talk to headteachers in two authorities. I feel my message could encourage fellow teachers to look after themselves and not go through what I have had to. I wish to focus on the positive and offer practical advise to all who will listen. Hindsight is too late....." |
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| Barbara | Service User | Yes | London | |
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| "I have diagnoses of bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, am a recovering alcoholic (and member of AA), have had eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating – had treatment for the last). I have had treatments including: medications, CBT (for compulsive overeating and a phobia), psychotherapy, private and NHS (group and 1:2:1). I can talk about all of these issues and about recovery – and can talk about recovery from addiction using 12 step Fellowship programmes (something mental health professionals are often not familiar with)." |
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| David | Service User | Yes | London | |
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I can give a service-user perspective on spirituality; recovery, education (to PhD level); work (retail, admin, and research); service-user research; service-user involvement and advocacy services; the survivor movement; service-user/survivor history, and mental health treatment and care. |
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| Debby | Service User | No | London | |
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"I can speak about service user experience. I have a bipolar diagnosis and have experienced psychotic highs and suicidal lows and have had many hospital admissions. I am used to talking about my experiences in public and I am confident and articulate, able to use my own story to raise broader issues re the mental health system. (I can also use humour where appropriate!). I am very committed to recovery based practice. I can speak about this and about my own recovery journey and about partnership working. I am an experienced organizational consultant and trainer specialising in adult and older people’s mental health and have co-designed and delivered a number of courses for practitioners and service users on recovery. I have worked for Saneline and MIND. I am a creative writer and also write non-fiction including articles. I used to be a theatre performer and still perform poetry. I have a lot of experience of facilitating workshops, public speaking, giving presentations and giving radio and print interviews." |
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| Georgina | Service User/ Carer | No | Essex | |
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The easiest way to view my work is to log on to www.georginawakefield.co.uk there you will find all the information that you need, I have delivered many training sessions for NHS Trusts Universities and The Institute Of Psychiatry where I am also involved in marking the nurses in the exam process following my delivery of The Carers Perspective”. I have also run many workshops for various agencies. My sessions promote hope because my son is doing very well considering he has suffered from Paranoid Schizophrenia for the past 21 years. He lives independently works part time and he also employs a PA through the Direct Payment scheme. |
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| Heather | Service User/Researcher | Yes | Hertfordshire | |
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| "Diagnosis: Bipolar disorder. 2 major manic episodes with psychosis. Qualifications: Business, Psychology and PhD. Founding trustee of Herts user charity. Worked in France for 13 years, hospitalised 3 times in France. PhD in recovery training I developed and tested, effective at 6 months post-training compared to controls. Started own company in 2009 The Recovery In-Sight Centre after winning a University prize for entrepreneurial development. Founder and director of a user-led social enterprise in 2010, The Recovery In-Sight Social Enterprise (RISE) based at The Old Free School, Watford. Listed building 304 years old at the heart of the community. Offering training, research, self-help groups and advisory services in mh as well as voluntary opportunities and job skills training for people affected by mh problems looking to return to work. Jobcentre Plus approved provider." |
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| Ifeyinwa | Service User/Carer | No | London | |
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| "Experience as a young carer from BME background and as a lived experience of clinical depression. Helping in understanding the cultural dynamics of African community and mental health diagnosis and management." |
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| James | Service User | No | South West | |
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"Recovery and mental health – a positive approach to living with bi-polar and schizophrenia Recovery and employment Overcoming stigma and discrimination Recovery and forensic services Using the media to share positive stories of hope and recovery My website: www.positivenotions.co.uk" |
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| Kate | Service User | No | London | |
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"Kate Hull Rodgers, director of HumourUs Limited, is an international leading authority on Humour in the Workplace. She has pioneered work in the fields of laughter therapy, stress management, worklife balance, assertiveness training and building relationships. For the past 18 years her advice has been sought by governments, health organizations and businesses in 29 countries on 5 continents. Kate is resident expert for ITV’s Job Finder, a business journalist, member of the Professional Speakers Association, an award winning comedienne and playwright. Her work and personal story of recovery from mental illness are the subject of the ITV documentary “Laughter is the Best Medicine”. Kate’s book “Pearls of Bizdom: How to Go from Grit to Great” has become a British business books best seller. Look for Kate’s mental health memoir; Cracked Up: A Bird’s Eye View of the Cuckoo’s Nest, will be published. Kate is no stranger to the health organizations. Her many clients include the National Association for Medical Education Managers, the Kings Fund, Astra Zeneca, Glaxo Smith Kline, Macmillan Nurses, National Conference Institute of Health Managers, Lancashire Mental Health Care Trust, Mersey Mental Health Trust, Royal College of Nurses – Emergency Room Carers, National Practice Nurses Conference, Thoracic Oncology Nurses, Chemotherapy Nurses of Northumberland and other nursing organizations, several hospital and mental health trusts, even more PCTs and the Institute of Health Managers regionally" |
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| Lena | Carer | No | London | |
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"I can talk about my experience as a carer, the stresses, problems, etc, and my strategies for coping, and about the kind of support carers need. I particularly like to talk about how carers can work in partnership with professionals, how the team approach - using the service user and the carer as part of the therapeutic team - can be of great benefit in the management of a person’s illness and can help towards recovery. I give examples of good practice I have seen, and illustrate how these can lead to better outcomes." |
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| Lindsay | Carer | No | Manchester | |
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"Mental illness has brought untold knowledge and understanding into my life and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity or passion to continue becoming who I really am, without the shadow of Schizophrenia. This illness has forced me to walk through fears I thought I’d never encounter. It’s taught me despair isn’t as useful as hope, and it’s easier to hope when you realise crises bring opportunities. Accepting my son’s illness was the most difficult thing I’ve had to face, yet it’s made me stronger and wiser. The most important thing it’s taught me is that life is how you see it, and more importantly, the way you see it reflects your mind." |
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| Louise | Service User | Yes | Dorset | |
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"I have had three nervous breakdowns: each time I was hospitalised, and I have a resulting diagnosis of schizophrenia. My mental health problems were a result of extreme anxiety caused by trauma in childhood, exacerbated by the use of cannabis. I have now completely recovered – I am married with four young children and I lead a full and happy life. I have published my memoir ‘Surviving Schizophrenia’ under the pen name Louise Gillett, and I write a blog on mental health issues, which can be found at http://schizophreniaattheschoolgate.blogspot.com I am keen to spread the word that recovery is a reality and to pass on hope to others." |
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| Matt | Service User | No | London | |
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"I have Bi Polar and as an Actor I use my experience to show the damage this illness can bring, but more importantly with help and medication the possibility of a recovery. I use speeches from Shakespeare along with personal instances to illustrate this" |
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| Peter | Carer | Yes | Warwickshire | |
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| "I can speak on a range of topics most of which are based directly or indirectly on my experience as a carer. These include; A Carer’s experience of Behavioural Family Therapy Hope and Recovery for carers Involving carers in commissioning, service reviews and service improvement strategies Helping Professionals Learn from Carers NICE Guideline Supporting and Helping Helping Carers Better Carer Awareness Confidentiality and Information Sharing The Contribution of Carers to Care and Recovery." |
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| Primela | Service User | Yes | Croydon | |
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"My evolving (positive & critical) perspectives on recovery from a BME perspective, both as a long-term MH service user, an experienced trainer of MH staff (was employed in SLaM as a user trainer for 5years) & a reflective writer (eg chapter entitled ‘A Recovery Approach in Mental Health Services: Transformation, Tokenism or Tyranny?’ Trivedi P. (2010) in : Voices of Experience: Narratives of Mental Health Survivors Edited by Thurstine Basset and Theo Stickley (Wiley London) I have a particular interest in issues of diversity & social inequalities, & whether concepts of recovery address these crucial issues, particularly issues of race & culture & gender. I am self-employed as a MH trainer & advisor (from a BME user perspective) & charge fees according to the Dept Health MARD document." |
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