Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the Trust have teamed up with the charity Rethink to run "Meet the Author" for young people from January 2017. However Since August 2017 CAMHS have organised and coordinated the "Meet the Author" on our own.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the Trust have teamed up with the charity Rethink to run “Meet the Author” for young people from January 2017. However Since August 2017 CAMHS have organised and coordinated the “Meet the Author” on our own.
This is a book group with a difference – as we will get the author to come along to talk about the book with young people and their carers, The books are fictional stories about mental health issues that affect young people. We can provide copies of the book and the authors are happy to sign the books after the group. All you have to do is read it and come along to the book group to share your thoughts. The Best bit is that we have a renowned author Holly Bourne who acts as our host and keeps the session on track if the young people get stuck for questions.
The book group is a fun way to meet new people, talk about mental health in issues raised in the book and hear what others thought. It’s OK to have a different view to everyone else
The book club started out as two organisations talking about how to introduce books to young people that access a CAMHS service that they can relate too and for parents perhaps to gain another understanding of what it might be like for their child.
We thought having Two young people to coordinate this would allow young people to own the group and influence what type of books are chosen.
When we first started the challenge was often getting the young people to read the books however actively encouraging them we have found that young people who attend have read the books and participate actively in the discussions.
We have expanded and now have young people attend from the adolescent inpatient unit with supervision.
We have some young adults attend when we were part of Rethink mental health and this I feel encourages young people and young adults the space to identify some common struggles via the books.
The” Meet the Author” book club has progressed to up to 18 members and a significant amount of these are young people. It has become embedded within CAMHS under User Participation
The Meet The Author book club has allowed young people who struggle literary opportunities to be introduced to authors and books. The Host Author time is free as well as the authors and the books which allows Young people on limited incomes an opportunity to have books and get them signed.
The Club has allowed young people who struggle with social communication a way to join in with other young people. As the user lead I actively encourage all young people who access CAMHS and those that don’t to see the service as accessible, by having this club it allows young people/ carers and staff a way to communicate together over a shared book.
Having the inpatient unit attend our Latest “Meet the Author” event has meant that we expanding reaching young people who may be in a hospital setting access to community events aimed at this client group.
Is there any other information you would like to add?
unable to submit poster of all our events however here link to our last group https://www.elft.nhs.uk/Get-Involved/Young-Peoples-Book-Group
