Leroy Simpson
Person with lived experience & Specialist Committee Member,
Coexisting severe mental illness and substance misuse
NICE
• learning from the lived experience
• what does recovery mean to you? Ensuring people facing mental health challenges develop their own definition of recovery
• ensuring every person in services is involved in developing an outcomes-focused recovery path
• engaging with people to encourage continued contact with services
• involving people with lived experience in implementing the NICE Guideline
Leroy started the day with an overview of the NICE Guideline Development Group, and how to improve the user experience of adults using the NHS mental health services.
He then went on to talk about how we do not take seriously the lived experience of people with mental health and we need to use this learn the path to recovery. He argues that because lived experiences aren’t in writing they are discredited: “Verbal feedback is better than no feedback at all.”
Leroy demonstrated his concepts and plans that could improve these issues. To healthcare professionals who say “I’ve got your back” he says “I don’t want you behind me, I want you by my side helping me with my daily difficulties.”
Dr Mike Kelleher
Consultant Addictions Psychiatrist and National Clinical Advisor
Public Health England
• understanding the needs of people with co-occuring mental health and substance misuse issues
• the challenges and impact of Covid-19, and lockdown on people with coexisting severe mental illness and substance misuse
• engaging and involving people to improve services, outcomes and avert crisis
• breaking barriers: challenging attitude and stigmatisation of individuals with co-occuring mental and addictive disorders
• harm reduction in substance misuse
• national developments and meeting demand through new ways of working