Sponsored by
Health: Advocating help for the vulnerable
VITAL HELP: Andy Dubberley turned to Advocacy for Mental Health and Dementia, Leeds when he was suffering from depression and alcohol dependency.
Research shows incidences of mental health issues among gay, lesbian and bisexual people are higher than within the rest of the population – but there is less uptake of help.
Katie Baldwin visited an organisation giving a voice to people facing difficulties with health services.
Andy Dubberley has no doubt that without assistance at a crucial time, he would not be here.
He was desperately ill and in dire need of a medical help when his planned detox place was delayed.
But thanks to the help of Advocacy for Mental Health and Dementia (A4MHD), he got into residential care just in time.
“I was admitted but then had to be whisked into hospital into acute services for a week,” he said.
“I believe that if it had not been for the advocacy service, I would not have got in in time and I would not be speaking to you now.”
For Andy, having independent back-up to fight his corner when he was in a vulnerable state was vital.
It’s that which A4MHD is aiming to provide for anyone affected by mental health issues or dementia across Leeds.
The charity, which is completely separate from the NHS, Leeds City Council or any other organisation, offers advocacy for people experiencing mental health difficulties, whether they are being cared for in the community, hospitals or other residential facilities.
Paola Vietri, an advocate at A4MHD, said: “Advocacy is a service that works in partnership with the individual client.
Respected
“When people get in touch with us, it’s because they feel they are trying to get something across to mental health services but they are not getting anywhere. Sometimes it’s because they are not being listened to or people feel their rights are not being respected.
“They may feel they are being sidelined or they are not involved in their situation and their point is not being taken into account.”
The organisation was initially set up in 1992 by a group of people who had experience of the mental healthcare system and wanted to ensure there was a way for service users to get independent support.
This led to the formation of the Leeds Mental Health Advocacy Group, which 10 years later employed 10 people. In 2007 their name was changed to incorporate dementia advocacy services and it has continued to expand.
But its origins as being led by users have been maintained, with at least half of the charity’s trustees having experienced mental health issues.
A4MHD will work with anyone who wants their involvement, and acts as an extension of the client rather than a ‘middleman’.
“Anything that happens between us and the client is as though it’s being said to the client,” Paola said.
“We try to understand where the person is coming from – what it is they are trying to get, and we discuss options. We try and give them as much information as possible to help the person make decisions.
“Once the person has made up their mind, it’s not for us to say whether it’s right or wrong.
“One of our outcomes is for the person feeling more confident and empowered to work with services in future. It’s not for us to say ‘leave it in our hands’– though we will do that if they want us to.”
Expanded
A4MHD, which is one of several advocacy services representing people from different communities in Leeds, has expanded its work over the years, including to increase interaction with older people.
Last year it also was given three years funding from Comic Relief to encourage more lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people to use the service.
Paola, the dedicated worker for the project, said the need had been demonstrated by several reports compiled in Leeds.
“There are some areas of mental health issues in the LGBT communities – these are around social pressures like depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide and dependency on drugs or alcohol.
“But there’s less uptake of mental health services. There’s a high need in some areas but there’s less use of services and more dissatisfaction with services.”
She says LGBT people may approach services with suspicion, but examples from their own work shows there is a lack of awareness – something as simple as a health worker asking if the client has a boyfriend rather than a girlfriend, or vice versa.
“There’s an awful lot of work that needs to be done to make people feel safe,” she said.
Over the past year Paola has been working to increase the numbers of LGBT people who use the advocacy service, some who may face similar issues to any other client or others who have problems linked more closely to their sexual orientation.
Around 20 people have sought assistance as part of the scheme over the past year and feedback has been very good – one person commented that during advocacy was the first time they had been really listened to.
Help
But Paola feels there are many more people out there who may need help.
“One of the hard things has been how we should let people know about us,” she said.
Luckily for Andy Dubberley, his background working in mental health meant that when he had a problem with services, he knew exactly where to go.
The 55-year-old had to leave his job because he was suffering from depression and alcohol dependency.
“Which comes first, I don’t know – the more depressed I got, the more I drank, the more I drank, the more depressed I got, to the point I became extremely ill,” he said.
He was given a place at a residential detox centre in Leeds and was gearing up to be admitted when, at a meeting, he was told there had been a problem and he would have to wait a further six weeks.
“I knew I would not make it,” he said. “At that point, because I knew about the advocacy service, I rang and arranged to meet with Paola.”
Within two weeks a meeting had been arranged with the residential facility, Andy and Paola, and he was able to take up his place as planned. He was immediately admitted to hospital and says if he hadn’t had the residential treatment when he did, the outcome could have been very different.
“I am glad to say I successfully completed rehab and now I am a very well man. I don’t drink, though I have still got some work to do on my depression,” he said.
“Now I want to put back into the service, which is why I am now part of their focus group. I believe it’s really important, both as a mental health worker and a gay man living in Leeds, I know mental health is an issue.
“The amount of alcohol and other substances being consumed in this city is frightening, and yet LGBT people are not accessing organisations.
“My role now is to try and do what I can to help Paola and this service.”
l Contact Paola, at A4MHD, on 0113 236 5900 or via 07861 420961. More information about the organisation is at www.a4mhd.org.uk.
l A consultation event to discuss proposals for a LGBT resource centre in Leeds takes place on February 27, at Leeds Civic Hall, between 4pm and 7pm.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.