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Good social skills for better relationships
Implementing a social expressions group in a forensic mental health unit .
R easide Clinic is a medium secure forensic mental health unit for working age men . When working with this population , you often find that service user ’ s communication skills are poor . Individuals with severe and enduring mental health conditions ( particularly when psychotic in nature ) often have difficulty establishing and maintaining positive relationships with others , as their communication styles may present as aggressive or disorganised ( Ikebuchi 2007 ).
Within a forensic environment , where there are significant risk behaviours associated with service users , trying to establish good social skills is particularly important .
National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence ( NICE ) guidelines ( 2017 ) state that individuals who are in contact with the criminal justice system can have difficulty with social functioning . This can present as having difficulty forming relationships with others , co-operating with others , and understanding the needs of themselves and others .
Poor social cognition is associated with increased inpatient violence , which in turn is associated with a longer length of stay in hospital and risk of reoffending ( Sedgwick et al 2016 ). Working with this population to improve their interpersonal skills is therefore essential to reduce the risk of violence and aggression to others , and additionally to support successful discharge from hospital .
Developing the social expressions group
Occupational therapists at the clinic completed task assessments using the Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability ( VdT MoCA ) ( De Witt 2005 ), in order to identify needs so that we could produce a group programme .
From these task assessments , there was a clear population need for improved social skills , leading to myself and Anisa , an occupational therapy assistant , creating and piloting a social expressions group to meet this need .
The social expressions group aimed to use drama as an intervention to teach good
26 OTnews January 2022