Story 1

I have been working for the Psygrid project in Cambridge since January 2006. I am based at CAMEO, an Early Intervention for Psychosis service in Cambridge. My previous experience of working with people with mental distress involved working in a secure psychiatric hospital. The type of work I’m involved with through Psygrid offers a satisfying contrast to my previous job, as there is so much more of a positive, recovery-oriented ethos to working with Early Intervention clients than in a secure setting. I often visit clients at their homes, and it’s a privilege to get to know people within their own context. It feels worthwhile to provide clients who have often had difficult experiences in the run up to developing psychotic symptoms with a listening ear, knowing that the assessments we do together will inform their care through the Early Intervention service. I’m looking forward to the new challenges that will face me working for Psygrid in 2007, such as working through Cambridgeshire  mental health teams other than CAMEO.

Story 2

I think taking part in PsyGrid provides carers, in particular, an opportunity to feel listened to. Sometimes telling their story of events helps carers (and patients) make sense of what has happened and that can be very therapeutic.

Being involved in PsyGrid has given me an opportunity to see the progress that people make as they engage with clinical teams, and throughout their treatment. Working with persons with first episode psychosis can be challenging at times, but also a very rewarding experience.

As a Clinical Research Officer for PsyGrid I often assess patients across different settings as their treatment progresses. For example, I may meet a patient in hospital, begin their assessment when they are under the care of a crisis team, and complete their assessment when they are seeing an early intervention service. I have seen first hand how this continuity, along with my relationship with each clinical team, can facilitate patients’ engagement with services. I have also seen how teams have benefited from having additional information available from PsyGrid assessments, particularly when they may be at an early stage of their assessment process.