User involvement - self-management project

If self-management is about people taking control of their own lives, it would be ironic if a self-management project were not under the control of the people it aims to help. Rethink has sought to create a genuinely user-centred project by:

• where possible, employing staff with personal experience of mental distress
• inviting people to join a user-only steering group to guide the project
• inviting people to join user-only working groups to carry out the development work mentioned above
• ensuring research participants retained ownership of their contributions by consulting them throughout the research

In the future we intend to maintain the ethos of the project by engaging people with personal experience of mental distress both as group facilitators and in the evaluation of the project.

How to get involved

The success of this approach depends on people with personal experience of mental distress, particularly "schizophrenia" and other psychotic experiences, coming forward to share their expertise.

If you would like to get involved in the project, whether by joining the steering group or one of the working groups, or in any other way, please get in touch.

For more information about the opportunities for getting involved in the project, read on.

Rethink are developing a project which aims to support people with a schizophrenia diagnosis to manage their condition themselves and to live a full life despite the condition.

We want this to be a genuinely user-centred and, so far as possible, user-led project.

We are inviting people, especially people who have personal experience of living with a schizophrenia diagnosis, to join our working groups to contribute to the project.

The Self-Management Course Design Working Group is developing guidance materials to be used by individuals and groups of people who are working towards self-management.

The Self-Management Steering Group takes an overall view of the self-management project and ensures that the views of people with experience of schizophrenia and other severe mental illness remain central to the project.

If you are interested in joining one of these groups, click on the group which most interests you to get further information.

We are keen to have diverse experiences represented within these working groups, and welcome people from all cultural and ethnic groups.

Contact us

If you are interested in taking part, or if you want more information, please write, telephone or email us at selfmanagement@rethink.org. 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Maria Lindsay
Self-Management Project