Alder Hey CAMHS Staff Complete Nature Well Training
Alder Hey FRESH CAMHS, Sefton CAMHS, Dewi Jones, and Sandfield Park staff recently completed training from the Natural Academy in Nature Well Level 2 Facilitation.
The training is nature-based and took place over three two-day sessions with two of the sessions taking place in Springfield Park next to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
The team from the Natural Academy delivered the training which has equipped staff to deliver the Nature Well approach in nature settings with young people, families, and staff.
Through the training, the teams looked at how nature connection can influence us through contact, beauty, emotion, compassion, and meaning. They also looked at Nature-Based Mindfulness and the way being and doing in nature can help us relax, restore, and be re-vitalised (3 Rs).
The whole experience and training have inspired the team to use the method within CAMHS setting here at Alder Hey as well as in other venues.
Some of the comments from staff about the training include:
“The time immersing ourselves in nature was integral to gaining a tangible understanding about the power of green spaces and our mental health. The course opened my mind and heart about using natural spaces to promote openness, capacity for change and positive healing processes.’ Marissa
‘ The training really helped in terms of having a clear rationale and theory behind why nature is so important to our health and well-being. It is something that should be seen as integral to the therapies we offer in CAMHS’. Carl Dutton
‘We know the evidence is there for healing in the outdoors. Even as far back as 400 BC, Hippocrates was prescribing sunbaths as a treatment for all kinds of maladies. The first green prescriber! Taking CAMHS into the wild has been a long ambition of some of our staff. The NatureWell training has given us a lovely framework from which to launch our social prescribing ideas.’ Barbara Smith.
Families will be referred to the programme by case managers within Alder Hey CAMHS.