BAATO Gathering '08
'Taking things to the next level' 		Saturday 16th February 2008
Venue: Family Futures Consortium, London N1

Home Booking information Venue Speakers Timetable and Programme

Timetable and Programme

10:00-10:30 Tea / Coffee Registration
10:30-10:45 Opening - Eugene Ellis - Engaging Black and Asian people with thinking about their Mental Health in ways they have not done before
10:45-11:15 Talk - Isha Mckenzie-Mavinga - 'Understanding black issues in the therapeutic process'
11:15-11:45 Talk – Kevin Brazant –Exploring the issues and real experiences of young and separated fathers and looking at the role society and professionals play in the interaction and development of thinking between men and women.
11:45-12:15 Break
12:15-12:45 Talk – Lennox Thomas - ‘Getting help; what do we have to loose’ I would like to talk about the mixed picture of BME populations and therapy. Poor mental health is unevenly distributed in these groups compared with the general population. For some people therapy is too closely associated with madness for them to seek it and for others there is a resistance for people to ‘know mi biz-niz’. Both communities are organised around issues of shame and needing to hide. Psychotherapy however, has always been as much about self development and personal problem solving as about ‘madness’. Unfortunately BME people are more likely to get admitted to psychiatric hospitals as choose to seek counselling or therapy. This is a complex picture because the health profession and GPs in particular, have for many years not referred Asian and African Caribbean people for therapy. Paradoxically the first therapy organisation set up in this country to offer services to BME people in their own language, if possible, is always over subscribed and waiting lists are long. It might be the case that social class among BME or professionalisation might help to explain this.
12:45-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:00 Discussion groups – lead by speakers
15:00-15:15 Break
15:15-15:55 Feedback - Connecting with the main themes of the workshops
15:55-16:00 Closing