Sunday 28 December 2014
Saturday 13 December 2014
David's Story
I first met David in the spring of 2009. He was referred to me from the community mental health team and was one of my first clients in my role as a social inclusion bridge builder. I knew very little about him except that he enjoyed playing guitar. This was key information as it meant that David might benefit from the skills of an arts bridge builder like myself to help enable him to access music activities in the mainstream community.
The first meeting with David took place at the unit where he lived with five other people who had also had spells in mental hospitals. David was happy there and had no desire to move to independent living.
Our first meeting didn't look promising to begin with. David was clearly uneasy and anxious. He adopted an almost semi-foetal position on the living-room settee. He was prompted to give answers to my questions by a well-meaning but misguided home manager. Her blunt interjections did nothing to make him more forthcoming about himself nor about any areas he might wish to follow up in mainstream life. Thinking that not much progress had been made, I eventually made another appointment with David for us to meet together in a week's time at the nearby Costa’s.
Just as I was getting up to go, David said: 'Do you want to see my new guitar?' 'Yes’ I replied, speaking not only in my role as an arts bridge builder but also as a fellow-musician and enthusiast. David ushered me into his room, where I was immediately struck by a dazzling array of music-related gear.
Back in his secure personal world David became animated and talkative. He showed me round his collection of guitars, music effects, recording equipment, amplifiers, CDs, music and tech magazines. ‘Do you want to hear something I recorded?’ he asked. David’s playing was impressive - clearly no slouch he had obviously spent hour upon hour meticulously learning guitar and studying his mentors who included Carlos Santana, Steve Vai and David Gilmour.
I knew then that I would have a reasonably smooth ride signposting David to outlets that suited his own main choices and goals. Any difficulties would not arise from David but if anything, from the detailed red tape of sorting out arrangements through the mental health team.
As it turned out David’s clinical team were very helpful. I introduced David to the local recording studio where he chose to do a weekly two-hour rehearsal session, bringing his own guitar. This was deemed to be a key part of his care and recovery plan. Social services were initially difficult to work with but eventually agreed to fund it through the ‘direct payments’ or personal budgets system.
Five years on, David continues to make great progress. The recording studio remains one of his main lifelines into accessing mainstream life. He has teamed up with fellow musicians on a variety of projects and was a key contributor to the short animation film ‘Mr. Fox’s Night Out’, screened at the Wimbledon International ‘shorts’ festival.
Many other milestones have been achieved. David took a part-time job as an assistant at the recording studio. He continues to collaborate regularly with other musicians, many of them his peers - mental health survivors.
None of these milestones could have been achieved without the idea that lies behind it. Mental health recovery and care plans that incorporate the client’s goals, hopes, dreams and aspirations. Assessments that help the individual to identify personal aspirations. Above all, the individual must be permitted to operate in mainstream settings outside hospitals or day centres.
Every client who has been through mental health services will already have been appraised many times on the basis of his or her diagnoses and history. A different discussion with the client on the basis of goals, hopes and personal priorities enables a break away from purely clinical approaches. It also permits what can turn out to be highly successful transitions back into mainstream life and social inclusion without prejudice.
(Names changed where appropriate)
The first meeting with David took place at the unit where he lived with five other people who had also had spells in mental hospitals. David was happy there and had no desire to move to independent living.
Our first meeting didn't look promising to begin with. David was clearly uneasy and anxious. He adopted an almost semi-foetal position on the living-room settee. He was prompted to give answers to my questions by a well-meaning but misguided home manager. Her blunt interjections did nothing to make him more forthcoming about himself nor about any areas he might wish to follow up in mainstream life. Thinking that not much progress had been made, I eventually made another appointment with David for us to meet together in a week's time at the nearby Costa’s.
Just as I was getting up to go, David said: 'Do you want to see my new guitar?' 'Yes’ I replied, speaking not only in my role as an arts bridge builder but also as a fellow-musician and enthusiast. David ushered me into his room, where I was immediately struck by a dazzling array of music-related gear.
Back in his secure personal world David became animated and talkative. He showed me round his collection of guitars, music effects, recording equipment, amplifiers, CDs, music and tech magazines. ‘Do you want to hear something I recorded?’ he asked. David’s playing was impressive - clearly no slouch he had obviously spent hour upon hour meticulously learning guitar and studying his mentors who included Carlos Santana, Steve Vai and David Gilmour.
I knew then that I would have a reasonably smooth ride signposting David to outlets that suited his own main choices and goals. Any difficulties would not arise from David but if anything, from the detailed red tape of sorting out arrangements through the mental health team.
As it turned out David’s clinical team were very helpful. I introduced David to the local recording studio where he chose to do a weekly two-hour rehearsal session, bringing his own guitar. This was deemed to be a key part of his care and recovery plan. Social services were initially difficult to work with but eventually agreed to fund it through the ‘direct payments’ or personal budgets system.
Five years on, David continues to make great progress. The recording studio remains one of his main lifelines into accessing mainstream life. He has teamed up with fellow musicians on a variety of projects and was a key contributor to the short animation film ‘Mr. Fox’s Night Out’, screened at the Wimbledon International ‘shorts’ festival.
Many other milestones have been achieved. David took a part-time job as an assistant at the recording studio. He continues to collaborate regularly with other musicians, many of them his peers - mental health survivors.
None of these milestones could have been achieved without the idea that lies behind it. Mental health recovery and care plans that incorporate the client’s goals, hopes, dreams and aspirations. Assessments that help the individual to identify personal aspirations. Above all, the individual must be permitted to operate in mainstream settings outside hospitals or day centres.
Every client who has been through mental health services will already have been appraised many times on the basis of his or her diagnoses and history. A different discussion with the client on the basis of goals, hopes and personal priorities enables a break away from purely clinical approaches. It also permits what can turn out to be highly successful transitions back into mainstream life and social inclusion without prejudice.
(Names changed where appropriate)
Monday 1 September 2014
Mister Fox - the follow-up movie!!
JVT is delighted to announce that seedcorn funding has been secured for the next animation short film. This is great news for mental health, arts and social inclusion. The 2013 'Mister Fox's Night Out' was created entirely by a team of people in south London who happen to have long-term mental health conditions.
Production including music production and animation trainings is scheduled to take place early 2015. The project seeks to include people from both London and outside, including the Midlands.
JVT is currently recruiting for people with mental health conditions who are keen to develop music production and animation skills. If you are or wish to know a bit more, simply drop me an email johnlvanek@gmail.com
Saturday 23 August 2014
Thursday 29 May 2014
Monday 26 May 2014
Wednesday 14 May 2014
Wednesday 26 March 2014
When does a client become a colleague?
In 2013 a successful collaboration between JVT (John Vanek Trainings) and ACAVA (Association for the Cultural Advancement of Visual Arts) led to the making of the animation short 'Mister Fox's Night Out'.
Funded by Merton Arts Development, the film is entirely the work of a small team of people with long-term mental health conditions and was shown at the 2013 Wimbledon Film Festival.
'Mister Fox's Night Out' has been developed from approaches to mental health recovery that focus on social inclusion and person-centred practice.
The clients who put together a team engaged in the making of a short film, have ventured a long way into inclusive practice. As one participant put it:
'We started with nothing, got totally engaged, achieved a great deal and with an end product'.
When individuals are enabled to take full ownership of a project from start to finish, a transformation takes place. Individuals once categorised as 'clients' become colleagues.
John Vanek has worked in the field of mental health since 2006. Since 2013 he has been a freelance fundraiser for arts and social inclusion projects. He also works as an independent fundraiser for St. John Ambulance and the 'Make a Difference' campaign to promote first aid training to school pupils between the ages of 5 to 17 years.
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