Arrgh! This predicament really gets my goat! Why do we have a postcode lottery when it comes to the treatment of people suffering from mental illness, surely as past or future tax payers, or being related to taxpayers we should all have equal rights to equal treatment. What level or quality of care you get should be assessed on your mental health needs rather than on the budgets of a badly or well run council or authority.
Anyway i now step down from my soapbox!
I had a CPN, but was then allocated an approved social worker. In reality for me their roles do not differ and i have been fortunate that they have both offered the same level of care and commitment to me. The reason they gave for swapping me to an approved social worker was that my CPN had a huge caseload and was changing roles, which i thought was quite valid as it would have been awful if i required a higher level of support which she couldn't deliver.
However on paper their roles are quite different.
Everyone who is under the mental health services needs a Keyworker or care coordinator, however this can be undertaken by a psychologist, CPN or social worker. Your psychologist MAY have undertaken that role therefore (in their eyes) negating your need for your support worker, IF that was the role they were fulfilling for you.
HOWEVER the role of the keyworker is to act as the co-ordinator of the mental health services needed by their patients. The keyworker has a responsibility to regularly review the progress of their patients and assess if all of their needs are being addressed. This involves gaining feedback from the patients about what they think about the help and support they are getting from the mental health team.
If you feel that your psychologist is not adequately addressing all of your needs, be it about employment, socialising, putting you in touch with groups etc then i would try to ask for another nominated keyworker or for another support worker, as on paper a support workers role is to work in the community as part of the mental health team. They supplement the work by CPNs, eg by helping a patient to socialise more by taking them out or helping them with their shopping and one or more of the community mental health team members, such as a CPN, regularly supervise their work.
If you take a look at this link it describes in detail what each role of each professional does:
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/depression/mentalhealthprofessionals_000358.htm
It may be the case that THEY have made a decision that you no longer meet their criteria for having a support worker, if that is the case and you feel that you do need their support, as quoted earlier the role of your keyworker whoever it may be is to "regularly review the progress of their patients and assess if all of their needs are being addressed. This involves gaining feedback from the patients about what they think about the help and support they are getting from the mental health team"
I would put your point of view across to them and get them to reassess your needs.
I am lucky for three reasons,
1. I have access to excellent services in the area, this county is by far the best county i have lived in for supplying mental health services
2. Because I have lived in two other counties with sub-standard mental health services I have learned to be vocal and clear about my needs, and I actively research what is available in the area and ask for it even if it isn't initially offered to me. If i am unwell and unable to do that i see no shame in asking family to act on my behalf. I have also acted as an advocate for learning disabilities and mental health users which gave me a good grounding for pursuing my rights.
3. Absurdley because I have been on section (even though it was two years ago) that section now acts as a section to the mental health sevices in the area, in that as they sectioned me they are now legally bound to give me some level of support as long as a i feel i need it. The one and only good thing to come out of my section -yey!
Although my county offers great services, every person i know who suffers with a mental illness in the area receive a different level of care, either because - their Keyworker has a larger/smaller caseload, each keyworker seems to have a poorer/richer knowledge of different services offered, budgetary constraints or they are not vocal about getting their needs met - when really services offered should be based on the individuals needs. This is a terrible predicament and one I hope the government addresses in the near future.
I hope that helps
