Whilst hearing voices is a relatively common experience in childhood adolescence, affecting around 1 in 5 11-13 year olds, 8% of older teens and 23% of CAMHS clients aged 12-16, it remains an experience that can be difficult to speak about.
For many this experience is either transient or doesn’t cause a problem. It may provide comfort during a time of stress. For others, though, the voices can be overwhelming and be a signal of issues that need additional support.
The stigma surrounding voice-hearing can prevent young people who are struggling with difficult or distressing voices from opening up until they reach a crisis point. When young people do disclose their experiences they do not always find it easy to talk about it, and parents/youth workers may be unsure of how best to help.
This project builds on both my work with Voice Collective (a London-wide project that supports children and young people who hear voices) and the wonderful Listen Up! Summer Arts Roadshow (in partnership with ‘Hearing the Voice‘ at Durham University).
In the latter, I met a group of inspiring young people from the North East who made full use of the peer support on offer whilst creating works of art that helped express what it’s like to hear voices. That experience, in particular, filled me with a commitment to help support the development of more diverse support options for young people in the North East … and it’s exciting to now be in a position to make good on the promise I made over a year ago.
What does the initiative involve?
I will be running a series of workshops and events that aim to:
- Increase awareness around voices and visions in young people
- Equip those supporting young people with the understanding, skills and tools to help young people who hear voices get the most out of their lives.
- Stimulate the development of peer support opportunities for young people in the North East – in CAMHS and voluntary sector settings by training facilitators.
Download and share: A5 North East Voices Initiative Flyer
Training Workshops
Understanding & Supporting Young People who Hear Voices
1 day workshop, 19 January 2018, 10am – 4.30pm
@ The Forge, Centre for Professional Development, Teeside University, Vicarage Road, Darlington, DL1 1JW
This one day workshop explores: The experience and its impact; different ways of making sense of distressing voices and visions; links between voices, visions, emotions and trauma; ways of challenging the stigma surrounding ‘voices’ in youth services; safe ways of talking with young people about voices and visions; developing a toolbox of practical and creative youth-friendly coping strategies.
Fees:
- £75 Full (NHS, statutory and commercial)
- £50 Reduced (self-funded places and voluntary sector funded places)
- £20 Concessions (unwaged*, students and low waged self-funding places that cannot afford the reduced fee)
*If you are unable to attend because of financial reasons, please get in touch to see if we can work something out.
Special offer – buy one place get one free: to support the implementation of the approaches covered in this course we are offering a free place for another member of your team and/or family. To be eligible for this offer you must specify at booking. Unused places, which have not been cancelled more than 1 week before the course start date, will incur a £25 admin fee.
Facilitating Peer Support Groups for Young People who Hear Voices
3 day workshop, 23-25 January 2018, 10am – 4.30pm
@ The Forge, Centre for Professional Development, Teeside University, Vicarage Road, Darlington, DL1 1JW
This three day workshop provides trainees with the understanding, skills and confidence to set up peer support groups for young people who hear voices, see visions or have other unusual experiences, including: the role of peer support; strategies to enhance participation; planning and promoting groups in your setting; launching groups, and managing common initial challenges; facilitation skills and managing difficult situations.
Fees:
- £175 Full (NHS, statutory and commercial)
- £100 Reduced (self-funded places and voluntary sector funded places)
- £25 Concessions (unwaged*, students and low waged self-funding places that cannot afford the reduced fee)
*If you are unable to attend because of financial reasons, please get in touch to see if we can work something out.
Special offer – buy one place get one free: My primary hope for this training is to help stimulate the development of peer support opportunities for young people in the area. My experience tells me that groups are more likely to succeed when people attend in pairs or groups of three. To make this more financially possible in such challenging times, I have reduced my course fees and am also giving every attendee the potential to register a co-facilitator for free.
To be eligible for this offer you must specify at booking. Unused places, which have not been cancelled more than 1 week before the course start date, will incur a £25 admin fee.
Free Public Awareness Event
Break The Silence
Come along to this free event and …
- Find out about Voice Collective peer support groups and the Hearing Voices Network
- Meet other young people who hear voices or see visions, and their families
- Challenge the stigma around voice-hearing
- Find out about how people can learn to deal with difficult voices or visions
- Hear about, and help support, local developments in the North East that can support young people who hear voices
Who is it for?
- Young people who hear voices or have similar experiences
- Parents and family members
- Youth workers and anyone interested in supporting these developments in the North East of England
Recent Comments