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Posted by: Crue-K on 2010-01-16, 05:52:15
Care Programme Approach (CPA) is a system that was set up to ensure that people with mental illness have the support and treatment that they need from services (regardless if they are currently experiencing symptoms or not). Care Programme Approach requires that Adult Care Services arrange and co-ordinate the care and medical treatment that a person requires. When a person is referred to the Community Mental Health Team, an assessment of their needs will take place. This can sometimes result in a person being directed to other services, but where a person has mental health needs that they need more support with, the person will be allocated a Care Co-ordinator from the Mental Health Team. As mentioned in an earlier section, a Care Co-ordinator is usually a Social Worker or Community Psychiatric Nurse who is based at the Community Mental Health Centre. Your Care Co-ordinator will be the person that you work most closely with in terms of planning your support and the person that you can contact to discuss issues and concerns. Once a Care Co-ordinator is allocated, a care plan will be devised. This care plan is part of the CPA process. All individuals who are in hospital or receiving services in the community from the Mental Health Team will be part of the Care Programme Approach. Even though everyting is fine for you at the moment, you could relapse when triggered and as such your CPA with come into force. It is good to have your CPA reviewed regardless to how you feel now. From my own expereince, some NHS Trusts do not offer CPA to their mental health patients. When you go, you don't need to say anything other than how you are feeling now. I last had mine in November 2009. |
