Coaching for Mental Health: Ethical Dilemma or Ethical Development?
Training and Education
My second proposal in the use of coaching in mental health is for the training of life coaching skills to all health service personnel, volunteer agencies, carers, ‘befrienders’ and families.
Several current reports encourage existing service providers to seek and use new effective training programmes. “With a plethora of new initiatives emanating from the Government’s modernising agenda, the importance of training and education in achieving effective change is becoming increasingly recognised… with new and exciting partnerships”. mentalhealth.org.uk
- A report by mentality for the Health promotion service in 2001 called ‘Making it happen’, cites many proactive projects that encourage personal and service development (www.mentality.org.uk)
- “The Capable Practitioner” report by National service framework www.uea.ac.uk
- 5:2 “Based on effective personal development and consultation, staff should be given every encouragement, support and opportunity to undertake appropriate E and T, not only in terms of producing a more qualified workforce but also to provide personal advancement, stimulus and feeling of self worth”. (www.doh.you.uk/nsf/mentalhealth.htm)