Pictured: Staff and patients from the Coatbridge Community Mental Health team working on the allotment
Staff from the Community Mental Health Team in Coatbridge have received a Big Shout Out for the community supports they have developed to support those having problems with their mental health.
The team have developed an allotment project, which provides patients with an opportunity to improve their mental health, by increasing their confidence.g
Lynn Dougella, senior charge nurse in the community mental health team in Coatbridge, said: “The team support, assess and implement treatment for patients with the support a wider MDT.
“The range of illnesses could be from severe and enduring mental health issues, which is schizophrenia, various psychotic illnesses and mood disorders like bipolar. Some people may need support for anxiety and depression management. Our team look at the psychosocial model.
“We’ve got some patients who literally have nobody and that’s where our nursing assistant roles come in. The nursing assistants try to get patients out in the community. They integrate them into groups and give them a sense of purpose. A lot of times they only go out of the house when they have the support from the nursing assistant.”
Two of the nursing assistants, Jasmine and Chris, looked into identifying an allotment that their patients could look after, to promote their own independence and recovery and to get them back into the community.
Lynn added: “There was a lot of work that had to be done to get the allotment to the position where the patients could use it. Jasmine and Chris also phoned round local companies looking for some donations to try and get started. Local companies were very generous and donated equipment such as spades, shovels and a large polytunnel. The donations allowed patients to come in to the allotment and be part of its development.”
Claire Delaney, Community Psychiatric Nurse, said: “I think one of the biggest benefits is getting people outdoors. We’ve spent so much time during COVID inside and restricted. The allotment has allowed people to be out in a green space in the fresh air and the elements.
“We know not everybody has a garden, so they’ve never been able to get their hands dirty in the soil before. They’ve never experienced the benefits of growing food and growing flowers and things like that. There is a sense of achievement that comes from nurturing things and seeing things bloom and grow.
“The patients have also built up relationships with the other allotment owners. They’re always swapping resources and giving advice on what can be planted where. They give tips and hints because they know that most of us are beginners when it comes to kind of allotment work.
“The peer and community support has been really positive for everybody involved.”
Jasmine Clark, clinical support worker, said: “I’ve never planted a pot in my life until we started this project. The patients because they had never done anything like that before either. So they were quite reassured that we’re just learning together.
“We’ve got a variety of patients who are able and some who are less able, so we just create spaces for people that are less able maybe to sit at an allocated space and plant seedlings and bulbs.
“We’ve got other people that are able to do digging and build structures like the big polytunnel.
“I have seen a massive difference in some patients over the past year. They are talking to people and just asking questions. They really want to go down to the allotment. They’ve been able to build up confidence and some are now in employment.
“Seeing the difference in people is just lovely.”
The Big Shout Out praises NHS Lanarkshire teams for taking an innovative, creative, and patient-centered approach to working, and recognizes the unique contribution staff make to overcoming the challenges faced across the entire healthcare system.
