College courses promise a journey of discovery through mental health and wellbeing
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Caithness is at the forefront of a fresh approach to mental health and wellbeing support aimed at helping people throughout the Highlands and Islands to achieve their full potential.
The newly launched Discovery College is offering a mix of online and in-person courses, all free of charge, with the emphasis on openness and accessibility.
Its manager Donna Booth, who has run her own Wick-based wellbeing practice for 15 years, explained: "What we're looking for within the college is for people to have connection, a sense of belonging and a sense of hope. That is really being considered in everything we offer."
Discovery College is the first project of its kind in the north. While it is geared towards communities across the region, its first face-to-face course – entitled Selfcare Sessions, and running for four weeks – starts in Wick Youth Club this month. An online Lean into Leadership is already under way, and others will cover themes ranging from mindfulness to conversational skills and communication.
Discovery College is led by Centred, the charity formerly known as Birchwood Highland, which provides support services throughout the Highlands and runs a residential recovery centre in Inverness. It will have a very visible presence in the middle of the Highland capital with dedicated premises in the Eastgate Centre.
Discovery College describes itself as "a unique learning experience that provides individuals with the skills and knowledge to improve their overall quality of life". Funding has come from The Ideas Fund.
Speaking at the Centred base at Wick Business Park, Donna explained: “Discovery College is based on a recovery college model. It is being developed very closely with a co-development group that has a high proportion of people with lived experience.
"They wanted to move away from the idea of recovery to discovery, and that makes it much more open and available. You don't have to have a mental health diagnosis to take part, you don't have to be struggling with alcohol or substance misuse. You might be interested for your own mental health, for a family member, or you might be a professional.
“You can be referred or you can self-refer, so anybody can take part in the courses. We have an online booking system.
“The website is up and running, our first eight courses are scheduled and available to book. We have a weekly drop-in for people who just want to find out more about it.
“In Caithness we are working with established local partners. In this semester we're running Selfcare Sessions using facilities in Wick Youth Club [starting on April 21] and we're also speaking to Caithness Mental Health Support Group about using some of their facilities."
Donna pointed out that the first four peer supporters taken on include one from Caithness.
“For each course they will be contacting people before the course to make sure they're okay, they're not too anxious about coming along, they're comfortable – they'll even meet them outside," she said. "They'll be there alongside the trainer for each of the courses to help people be engaged – just really as a friendly face."
When asked what Discovery College can provide that other services don't, Donna replied: “Inclusivity.”
She emphasised that there is a "non-judgmental perspective", and continued: "We want to be as attractive for young adults as we are for older people. We're aiming at the moment for age 16 and over.
"It's preventative but also educational. It's that whole journey of discovery through the college – they can really achieve their potential.
"They'll know themselves better, they'll be able to better manage their own mental health and wellbeing, they'll be better able to support other people in their mental health and wellbeing.
“They can follow it through and be qualified peer supporters and peer researchers. Hopefully there will be opportunities within Centred, within other organisations, within the NHS, from what might have just begun as a drop-in taster session.
“With 50 per cent of our courses being online, they can be accessed from anywhere.
“I've been very involved in mental health, particularly in the Caithness area, for about 15 years, within my own wellbeing practice and within Here for Caithness and Caithness Cares. And not just in Caithness but Highland-wide, there is a mental health crisis.
"But there's a lot of negativity around it and I think what we need now is to be positive and to be hopeful and to put things in place to help people with their journey.
"We really, really want it to be as open as possible. We won't ask, 'What's wrong with you? Why do you want to come?' As far as we're concerned, if somebody is interested enough to join a course then fantastic, and that spreads through a community.
“As we develop it and introduce new courses, it will come from the student body and from the members of the college all working together and working with partners... People dealing with these issues, what do they think we need to be delivering?”
Centred chief executive David Brookfield pointed out that mental ill-health "has always been there – I just think it has always been hidden".
He said: "I think there are more pressures in today's world, particularly with younger people. But it has always been an issue, whether it was recognised or not.
“I think a lot of the issues have been in more isolated places. You can have a lot more stress in rural areas, you can feel disconnected from everything else. We need to be sure that we can reach out to these places.
"The whole model of the Discovery College is like a wheel-and-spoke approach, so we've got spokes going out right across the Highlands so people connect on the same basis as at a centre like Inverness.
“I want it to be a recognised support solution for people who are experiencing mental ill-health or people who are concerned about their own wellbeing – just to become an established service within Highland and to start to produce some real, tangible benefits for the community.
“I lived in Caithness for 10 years so I was well aware of how people felt up here. It can't be forgotten about. It's important to support the very remote communities that we have around the Highlands, and Caithness is one of them.”
Donna added: “We've moved away from it being something shameful. People feel able to talk about it – but there are a lot of people struggling.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for people to feel comfortable and to join in. Once you've done one course then it's a lot easier to sign up for something else.
“It's very exciting, and there is so much potential. It's a rewarding thing to be part of.”
