Community services - Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust 2023-05-26 Person 4 5 0

Ever since I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2018 the initial support from this service, specifically the Avenue House in Nuneaton, has been life changing. At every instance I was treated with compassion, understanding and for the first time in my adult life felt like I was given the tools, medication, community and knowledge to work with my neurodivergence and not be in conflict with it. Complicated subject matters from how the different medications work chemically and why ADHD brains function differently from neurotypical ones were all explained in non-condescending and digestible conversations that I was given follow up resources if I wanted to further my own understanding. All forms of treatments were available and discussed with me and I was given the opportunity to explore whatever I felt would be the best approach for me and my own personal lifestyle. I was initially hesitant about medication but as I mentioned previously after all the discussions, reassurance I received and most importantly without any pressure, I went in with an open mind to try new things to improve my mental well being and it did drastically. I stopped being an active patient just before the Covid19 pandemic as all of the support enabled me to find and keep a sustainable job that was perfect for me that has been stable for the past 4 years. However due to circumstances out of my control this work is slowly coming to an end for the time being and finding new work has proven difficult and caused my mental well being to plummet and severely effect my physical health. I only write this short biography to illustrate that when I realised I needed help I was able to call up this institution, explain how I needed support and within a month I was an active patient again with regular scheduled appointments. I was amazed at how swiftly I was taken care of and made to feel important and cared for. Whoever reads this, whether you are potentially a new patient, someone who works here, a politician reviewing the importance of this facility, know that this to me (with my limited perspective) feels like the gold standard that all mental health services should strive to be. Everyone who needs it deserves this level of support and I hope more people are given the opportunity to receive it.

The only thing I would love to see from this already amazing service is potentially a monthly email newsletter/reminder that patients can opt in to for dates to community events held within the area. This could also be filled with articles regarding new research and studies, tips and tricks to better manage neurodivergency and even interviews but specifically I'd like to request the dates to community events. I know these are being held but either I find out about them too late or I even forget to ask about them at my appointments so I miss them completely. It would be nice to have this information sent out and even updated if the events get cancelled, it's also easier when nearly everyone has access to a computer or phone to check their emails to be able to keep up to date and refresh their memory. Where I live I find it particularly difficult to meet new people, especially those who are neurodivergent, and not having that community to share and confide in is something I'd like to work on and a system like this would be incredibly beneficial.