01626 884544
dpt.openup@nhs.net
Thanks to the generous funding of Open Up, DPT’s Chaplaincy team is engaging in an exciting pilot project which will place chaplains at the frontline, providing support to people using our community services as part of the Community Mental Health Framework (CMHF).
The team has successfully appointed Ian Williams to head-up Community Chaplaincy and take referrals in the South. Two further Community Chaplains have been appointed on fixed-term contracts for 24 months (0.5WTE), to work in the East and West.
DPT’s Chaplaincy team was established in January 2021, initially working across our 17 inpatient wards. It supports people of all faiths and belief systems, and none, in the provision of pastoral, spiritual, religious, cultural and bereavement care.
Lead Chaplain Jez Brown, said: “Expanding our service from inpatient wards into the community, as part of the Community Mental Health Framework, is a good fit for us with our years of experience of developing relations with community leaders, charities, different faith groups and community special interest groups. By offering our service to people where they live, we can better embed them into supportive groups within their local communities.”
“The ethos of the Community Mental Health Framework is very much about caring for the whole person and what matters to them. This aligns neatly with what chaplains are trained to explore and are experienced in delivering – learning about a person’s values, aspirations, ideals, concerns and the philosophy by which they live. In the CMHF, mental health care is provided in collaboration with GPs, local authorities, the voluntary sector, housing and employment agencies and local community groups such as faith groups. It is a privilege to be working alongside such a talented and compassionate set of colleagues.”
