Solution Focused Approaches

Great group last night despite the IT gremlins. Another interesting range of geographical, professional and practice backgrounds with shared and new ideas.

Carl Plant led an exercise on using video design/pictorial layout to get ideas for the future IGs. Both Carl and Paul Z. Jackson have used this technique successfully in organisational/team/customer/client work. The exercise generated several great ideas for future groups which I've précised below. Future groups to be held in a more social environment,

December group (including James McAteer's discussion around the Staffordshire community of practice and the media) will be combined with a seasonal curry. Julia Richardson is investigating possible venues for the evening of 17^th. Let me know if you can make it.

January meeting will be in the Stone/Stafford area. Carl and I will work out a subject/guest for the evening.

Recent work in promoting SFP in media other than books and journals (YouTube, local magazine article) shows how the simplicity principle can translate well. We hope that James can support this (again).

There is a natural link with SFP and 'the arts' which has been seen in Carl's work with Keele Music Society and elsewhere.

Lots of scope for the use of IT in the group. We have an interest from a group some distance away in taking part in future IGs via a video link. The SFA website has an RSS feed and hosts the content of the IGs so that people can keep up to date.

Future IGs would have more people there and would be a place that people want to go to.

This would be supported by the media exposure and the non-hierarchical, non-tribal nature of the approach.

What doesn't come through here is the thought, effort and fun which goes with the exercise.

I'm sure there was lots more but….

All the best,

Steve

Regards

James McAteer

Hope all is well with you.

A reminder that the Solution focused Interest Group is week today (19^th November) 7 to 9pm, Academic Suite, Harplands Hospital. The group is for people who are interested in Solution Focused Practice regardless of training, skill level or knowledge.

There will be an update on local, national and international developments and a chance to discuss practice.

Carl Plant will be hosting a conversation around creativity and SFP. The working title is ‘An interactive, fun, get creative type practical session.’ Knowing Carl’s enthusiasm, skill and talent I am confident that this will be a great evening.

Free drinks and biscuits too.

See you there,

Steve

Guardian.co.uk

With contestants lined up on the lawn of a grand house and looking as if they mean business, the opening sequence of Horizon: How Mad Are You? could be mistaken for The Apprentice. But the 10 "contestants" in the BBC2 programme aren't competing for prizes. They are willingly being scrutinised by psychiatric professionals who have to spot which five have a diagnosed mental illness.

Three professionals observe the group over a number of days, during which they complete tasks designed to expose signs of mental illness. One task involves performing stand-up comedy so the professionals can detect anxiety disorders. It makes for interesting viewing as the professionals struggle to pinpoint those with a condition and are frequently prompted to question their own "clinical intuition". The premise is that viewers are encouraged to question their own notions of mental illness and to recognise the effects of stigma.

At the end of the first episode, misconceptions are challenged when someone the professionals are certain has no history of mental illness reveals they have a psychiatric condition.

The programme is likely to raise many questions about how mental illness is diagnosed. And by reminding the public that even professionals get it wrong, it may offer a boost for people who have been judged because of their condition.

• How Mad Are You? is on BBC2 at 9pm on November 11 and 18. Details at bbc.co.uk/headroom