experience W hat does the Thursday Club have to teach us about effective community care in the mental health field Damian Spiteri PhD Department of Social Policy and Social Work ID: 1042011
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1. The Caritas Thursday Club experienceWhat does the Thursday Club have to teach us about effective community care in the mental health field? Damian Spiteri Ph.D. Department of Social Policy and Social Work
2. The history of the Thursday ClubTraces its origins to the 1970sCaritas philosophy – to respond to people in needShow members that they are valued and validated
3. The Curia
4. The profile of the attendeesSuffered from serious and persistent mental health difficultiesAge group varies 20s to 60+ From all walks of life, but often socially isolated, unemployed, and, in general, lack the skills to live independently
5. The approach adoptedMeets once weekly, on Thursdays. Sessions last for two hours, not longerCommon goals that people have achieved include: making friends, starting conversations, asking for help, improving a marriage or friendship, coping with criticism and anger, and feeling good about oneself
6. Vetting procedureAssessment by social workers, sometimes also involving relatives, are always undertaken Ideally, social workers would meet family members of the Thursday Club attendee/(s)
7. What can the Thursday Club teach us?Why do people attend?1. Attention, understanding, and enjoyment2 Receptive to learning/relearning skills3. Co-create a social atmosphere that respects adult learning principles
8. The Volunteers.1. Need to do something useful2. Need to learn something new. 3. Encouraging beginners/university students who help out4. Group activity a number of people can be attended to at one go.
9. Cathartic outputsImproved personal effectivenessGroup interaction, opportunities for observing and learning from others.Finding a personal space in which they can be enabled to ‘be themselves’
10. Should you want to refer ‘patients’ to the Thursday Club...Build favorable, but realistic expectations, about what one can anticipate from attending the Thursday ClubProspective members/referrers can contact Caritas should they believe that the service will be of benefit.