December 2010 Issue #55

Hello, shalom and mentally ill. There‟s an heroic efforts to get

welcome to the first account on p. 10 of the into work. There‟s a
Jewish edition of the hilarious and profoundly great feature in the
Star Wards newsletter! moving show Losing It newsletter from Amy
Buddy and I are Jewish. which Ruby and singer- Bennett in Sheffield,
Judaism is matrilineal – songwriter Judith Owen one of the most snowed-
i.e. if the mother is generously performed as under areas of the
Jewish, their offspring a special performance country. She‟s just sent
are Jewish. The slight for Star Wards. me an email saying: “We
complication of the have been trekking
daughter being a Those of you with through the snow to get
Tibetan Terrier doesn‟t Jewish tendencies, to work, but there has
seem to feature in heritage, friends, been a really good staff
religious texts, but patients or (inevitably) turnout, and morale is
Buddy is definitely Jewish psychiatrists will high despite the
Jewish because she know that the festival conditions!” That‟s the
loves eating and getting of Chanukah is spirit! Congratulations
presents. ridiculously early this all round or, as we say in
year. December 2nd to Yiddish, mazel tov.
Part of the inspiration 9th. And it‟s yet another
for this Jewish edition high cholesterol High
of the newsletter is the Holyday, with fried
amazing Ruby Wax, who goodies such as
has done so much to not doughnuts and latkes
only reduce the stigma (potato pancakes) being
of mental illness but compulsory. Consuming Buddy in multi-faith
also to inject much all that schmaltz (fat) is holiday gear
needed accessible guaranteed to warm you
information about the up. As ever, I‟m in awe
realities of being of the commitment of
ward staff and their

Love
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and
Mitzvah Day on November 21st was a huge success nationally, and Geoff Brennan,
nurse consultant at Camden and Islington, yet again trail-blazed for inpatient services.
First, there‟s an excerpt from an article describing Mitzvah Day in the context of the
current government pre-occupation with the Big Society. We‟ve then got a fab account
of Mitzvah Day in hospital by Geoff. Huge thanks to Geoff and colleagues for their
pioneering work and to Marian at Mitzvah Day for heroic efforts to include mental
health hospitals.

Thanks to Mitzvah Day and Jewish Care for the wonderful photos

Here‟s a Jewish joke to get us in the mood. It‟s Chanukah in Stamford Hill, and
elsewhere, and Mrs Cohen is concerned that she hasn‟t recently seen her elderly
neighbour, Miss Smith. She says to her son Moishe: “Bubbeleh, be a good boy. Go next
door and find out how old Miss Smith is.” Moishe comes back a few minutes later. “Nu?
Is Miss Smith alright?” asks his mum. “She‟s fine, Mum, but she‟s cross with you.”
“Cross? Why would she be cross with me?” “Well, Moishe replies, she said it‟s none of
your business how old she is.”

November 21st 2010, Times Online. By Rabbi Boyd-Gelfand, Chief Executive of

Movement for Reform Judaism.

What does the Big I know Mitzvah Day is the Big Society. Mitzvah

Society mean in approaching. (loosely translated as

action?
Giving up your time to
volunteer to help others.
Each year, around this
time, our synagogues
start haranguing me.
Give blood! Collect toys
for sick children! Come
tidy the local park! Then
“Good Deed”) Day is –
One of the challenges
put simply - the Jewish
facing this Government
community‟s national day
has been to explain in
of volunteering.
ordinary language what
its mean by its big idea:
the Big Society. And
yet, it seems to me
Mitzvah Day is in fact
the embodiment of 2
exactly what they mean
when they talk about
 How to explain Matthew‟s, to collect
goods for a homeless
The „ask‟ is simple and its success?
charity outside one of
yet unusual: because the
the local
one thing you are not
supermarkets.The buzz
allowed to give on Well, first, in my and energy of young
Mitzvah Day is money. experience anyway, people throwing
Instead, it is about Mitzvah Day is fun. It themselves into doing
giving something far avoids the dour something good for the
more valuable: time. worthiness of most do- community really lifts
gooding events: kids the spirits.
making Chanukah Cards
to send to British
soldiers serving abroad
Indeed, amongst the
get covered in pen and
250 or so Mitzvah Day
glue; the guitar comes
projects across the
out as the teenagers
Mitzvah Day has only country this year, there
sing for the old folks
been running in the UK will be joint events not
home; even the Rabbi
for five years. Now it just with Hindus, but
making bird boxes gets
attracts 15,000 also Christians, Muslims,
covered in mud – believe
volunteers – 7 per cent Sikhs, Buddhists and
me I know.
of the UK‟s entire others.
Jewish community – and
encompasses 200
synagogues, schools and
community groups the
length and breadth of
Britain, not to mention
France, Israel, Poland, Second, it brings people
South Africa and the together not just to
USA - and half a dozen talk, but to act. To give
other countries besides. just one example: for
the past two years,
teenagers from
Northwood and Pinner
Liberal Synagogue have 32
teamed up with those
from the nearby Roman
Catholic Church, St
 lovely Mitzvah Day
volunteers.
Surely this must be
what the Government Should you want to
means by “Big Society”: recreate the experience
bringing people together yourself, here is the
in a country where too recipe.
many people feel
First, take a very
isolated and
capable Occupational
disconnected. Both
Therapist called Gillian
Mitzvah Day and the Big
Rennie who is willing to
Society are about
give up her Sunday
connecting more of us
afternoon and roll up
with our own power to
her sleeves as well as
make a difference to
provide a good dose of
the things we care
Scottish humour. This is
about. They are about
an essential ingredient
challenging us to think Mitzvah Day at
and you will find you
harder about our Camden and
cannot commence
responsibilities to Islington
without it!
others and encouraging By Geoff Brennan,
and supporting people Next take a dollop of
Nurse Consultant
who want to contribute laid back but competent
more than their taxes. Eating a good pizza and nursing staff to run the
then taking in a movie. A show whilst you make a
typical, lazy Sunday bloody awful mess.
It is worth noting that afternoon? Not Ideally they should be
while the projects on something you would Jessica, Tamuka,
Mitzvah Day may be led expect following an Richard, and Sona, but
by Jews, their admission to an acute any quality acute
beneficiaries are from psychiatric hospital? inpatient staff will do.
all faiths and from none. Well, on Mitzvah Day
Some are very local, 2010, on Fleet Ward at
many are national and the Grove Centre in
international: Barnado‟s, Camden and Islington,
Marie Curie, Vision Aid we created our very own
to name but a handful. Pizza and movie
experience with the help 4
of Danny Rosenburg and
Nick Landau, two very
Then take a fair yeast, vegetables, Good quality equipment
smattering of patients pepperoni, passata and a such as a projector is
stuck in the ward for working kettle. Leave essential and you should
the Sunday afternoon. for three hours and stir be reminded to thank
If you are very up occasionally. At this Faizal for getting all
fortunate, you may get a point you will have eight this set up before his
bubbly John who large pizzas for public deserved day off.
provides music, a mellow consumption.
Frank who can talk in
seven languages
including Hebrew, a
succulent Krishna who
makes a demon cup of
tea, a smooth Sourab
who doesn‟t mind getting
his hands dirty and a
spicy Lysia with words At this point take a
Before serving, garnish
of encouragement. It is break and go around the
with people from the
important to balance other wards showing off
other wards, serve on a
these ingredients and you skills. Do not, under
bed of popcorn, sit back
not to mind if the odd any circumstances, let
and enjoy.
sour note -like “there‟s them into the kitchen to
smoke coming out of the see the unholy mess you
cooker ” – gets into the have left behind. This
I recommend it.
mix. You will find that a would not help their
pinch of humour leads to appetite.
just the right Shalom
consistency. Also, do not
worry if others join this
frothy concoction for
short periods as this will
add rather than diminish
from the overall flavour. After the break, take

Finally, marinade all the the whole mixture and

ingredients plus the move to a specially set 5
Mitzvah volunteers into up Cinema in one of the

a kitchen with flour, large meeting rooms.

The next two features aren‟t overtly Jew-ish, but there‟s food and lots of talking and
singing, so that‟s enough to qualify for this Judaic themed newsletter.

It’s a WRAP at the recovery approach prompts service users

Broadmoor’s Service to mental health care. with various questions

which help them reflect
User Recovery
on their mental health
Conference
and wellbeing, and how
to take an active part in
preserving or restoring
The first service user it. It also helps ensure
conference ever held at their wishes sit at the
Broadmoor Hospital took centre of the care
place on 13th October planning process. Joe
Marion spoke about her
to celebrate World Ayres, Chair of
own experience of
Mental Health Day 2010. Recovery & Social
inpatient services and
Patients from all wards Inclusion Group, and
how she developed the
attended. Terry Fegan, Practice
Star Wards initiative.
Development Nurse
Rachel spoke about
presented the Hospital‟s
making recovery a
Jimmy Noak, Deputy WRAP, and a number of
reality and how story
Director of Nursing, service users agreed to
telling is a powerful way
opened the event and take part in focus
of offering peer
set the theme for the groups and become
support. She also
day. We were WRAP Ward Champions.
introduced us to
fortunate to have two The plan is to roll this
„Wellness Recovery
renowned external out across the hospital
Action plans (WRAP).
speakers in Marion in November and
Both these sessions
Janner, Director of December.
were interactive with
Star Wards
several users sharing
(accompanied by her
their views and
assistance dog, Buddy),
experience.
and Rachel Perkins, Mind
Champion of the Year
2010. Both are service
The Wellness Recovery 6
users and pioneers of
Action Plan (WRAP)
An update from Vivienne
Mowatt and David
Phillips on the Hospital‟s
plans for redevelopment
was followed by songs
from the service user
and staff Hospital Vocal
Group, with which
everyone, by then in
celebratory mood,
joined in.
The Choir With No Name –
members are London
homeless people
The conference ended
with a lively discussion
around the theme of
recovery and the
introduction of the
WRAP. Feedback on the
day from service users
was extremely positive
and many asked for a
re-run for those who
were unable to attend
this first event. Thanks
to everyone involved,
specific thanks to Joe,
John and Caroline for
the work they put in to
organise this event.
Talkwell Training theory bases, and how
support staff can assist
pilot evaluation,
in someone‟s
Sheffield. By Amy psychological care on a
Bennett, Senior ward.
Practitioner
TalkWell training was The training was
approved for a pilot on delivered by Amy
Maple Ward in Bennett, Senior
Sheffield early in 2010 Practitioner, Trish
and has recently been Neilson, PSI lead, and
delivered. It was agreed Emma Highfield, PSI
with the ward managers lecturer and CPN. 7
that the training would support workers
be delivered over 2 full completed the full
study days to all of the course, and 2 completed
support workers on one day of the training.
Maple, with the other Evaluations were given
wards helping to cover to the participants to
Maple‟s rota in order to complete at the end of
help facilitate the the training, as well as a
training. The study days quiz to help assess
were planned to be a knowledge gained. The
month apart, and ward manager was also
supervision sessions consulted for feedback
were planned for the on the effects of the
month in between the training in practice, in
sessions in order to help consultation with the
facilitate deputy ward managers.
implementation and
reflection. Added to the
training package was a
session on „When does
talking become
treatment?,‟ an
interactive exploration
of the types of talking
7
treatments we can use
on acute wards, their
Evaluation forms were which had taken place,  Very interactive and
given to staff with a mix and demonstrates that all points of view
of Likert scale answers, people had absorbed respected and
considered. As a
and open questions. It is some of the key
group our awareness
evident from this that messages of the
has been raised
the training was deemed training, both in terms regarding our
by the participants as of knowledge and values. patients‟ distress and
successful, useful and our job has been
that people felt they given value.
had learned a lot. In  Provided more
structure to 1:1
terms of improving the
sessions. Learn to
training, people felt trust my instinct
they wanted more more to gain
information on some of The ward manager has
information rather
the approaches within given very positive than just to do what
feedback, reporting is written on a care
PSI and CBT, and they
that the staff who plan – How can I tell
also thought the
attended the training someone to challenge
qualified nurses should
have talked about what their voices when I
have been on the don‟t know what they
they have learned with
training with them. feel or think about
However, coming away him, as well as their voices and how
from a ward discussing some of the it affects them.
environment as a team ways it has affected  Thinking more about
their practice. In terms how I ask questions,
of support workers for
of service user and to chat about
the training was seen as
everyday things with
a very positive team feedback, none has
patients could help
building exercise, and specifically been sought
them as much as
regarding this training, discussing treatments
the space together to
reflect on their practice but there are measures etc.
and real life examples of on the Quality and

the issues they face Dignity survey which are

related to being listened
every day was valuable
to them. to and understood which
will be monitored over
time to see if the
results for Maple
The quiz at the end of 8
change.
the course captured
some of the learning
 for allowing us to
reproduce this article from
 Made me re-look at Ruby Wax Losing their Wellbeing magazine.
my approaches on how
I talk to people and
It at St Ann’s And if by any chance Ruby
and Judith are reading this
think/gave me lots of Hospital
ideas of how to start newsletter (did you notice
and end a talking how I just casually called
session. them by their first names?
 It has changed the Cool!) – vast thanks to you.
way I talk to the
clients, and how I am
with them. Also
understanding a lot One of Star Wards‟ much
more. loved funders is the
 We are not just
incomparable Comic Relief.
talking to patients we
Not only do they provide us
are offering therapy.
1:1 time can have with a hugely generous
structure as we grant, but they also
encourage patients offered Star Wards a
through our verbal special performance of
cues to open up. Do I look mad to
Losing It by Ruby Wax and
Trust the patient you?
Judith Owen. Ruby and
knows his needs and
desires, trust our own Judith agreed to come to Comedian and
instincts. my local hospital, St Ann‟s broadcaster Ruby Wax
 Samaritans (story – in Tottenham, to whom I‟m has been very open
feelings and options) totally indebted for the about her history of
– found this very exceptional care they give depression and has now
useful when spending
me. turned her experiences
time with clients.
Body language – to be It was a fantastic evening, into a show, Losing It,
open and smiling at and a chance for Star alongside singer-
client can approach songwriter Judith Owen,
Wards to thank some of
and talk who has also spoken
the people who make it
 Have really enjoyed
possible for us to run the about her own mental
this training and feel
project. Many thanks to health problems.
that the other wards
would benefit from Steve Thomas, Head of
„Talkwell‟. Have found External Communications
it very useful and will and Marketing, Barnet,
use everything that
9
Enfield and Haringey
have been taught.
Mental Health NHS Trust
They performed a have been unusually open The show was conceived
version of their show, about their experiences as a kind of instruction
for a specially invited of mental illness. And manual, for anyone who‟s
audience of service now they‟re performing ever felt like an
users, staff and friends a show that‟s about just outsider. “A lot of
of the Trust, at St that subject. people think: „How do I
Ann‟s Hospital. They become a successful
spoke to Steven Thomas businessman?‟ or „How
from the Trust‟s do I carry off a certain
communications team, to lifestyle?‟ We get
allow Wellbeing readers samples in magazines
to understand a little but we don't actually
more about the show. know how to do it as
Ruby is, she says with people. So the show
her characteristic throws up questions and
It sounds like something bluntness, “one of The I give the answers which
from a contrived Tribe”. That‟s how she are hilarious but true.
Hollywood movie. Ruby refers to the one in The show is a universal
is American, but lives in four of us who have thing, so everyone in the
London. Welsh-born experienced mental audience will go: „This is
Judith was raised in illness. But identifying me‟.”
London, but lives in that she was unwell
California. Ruby used to wasn‟t easy, and she
date Judith‟s husband, ended up asking a
and introduced the friend: „Do I look mad to
couple. They‟ve known you?‟ She recalls: “I
each other for years, a drove her crazy till she
relationship which is said yes, because I Revisiting her mental

obvious from the way couldn‟t tell because it illness on stage, Ruby

they sometimes finish happened so slowly. My says, “is very cathartic.

off one another‟s brain was the problem, It's like you're telling

thoughts. But here‟s a but because it‟s my someone a secret and

relationship with a brain which I‟d use to then it feels much

difference: both women work out that problem,

are entertainers who it was an even bigger
problem.” 10
better. Because if they thinks they just know. although both are now
think it's OK, then it's Judith shakes her head. well, Ruby and Judith
OK. And you get to tell Ruby says: “When you‟re are determined to stick
everybody.” unwell, you just go away by their people by
and get out of people‟s performing in mental
way. Nobody can tell.” health premises. “Now
Judith wishes she had That suggests that the the show is completely
spoken up earlier about onus in on each and different because now it
her own mental health: every one of us to talk isn't for an audience
“I wish I‟d had the about how we‟re feeling, that has mental issues.
courage and the support and to invite others to It's for an audience of
to be able to find what I talk too. everyone you've ever
find now, which is that I met; it's not exclusive.
no longer think: „How do Only because I had the
I start this The last few years have slip, do I take you on
conversation?‟ I kept it seen a number of very the journey at the very
secret for so long, but well-known people end of going off a cliff.”
now I think: „Talk about speaking about their
it. Talk to whoever, to a mental health. Is there
friend.‟ And it helps.” something of a Losing It continues on
competition among those tour over the next few
in the public eye to have months, and West End
the best story, or dates are soon to be
appear the maddest? announced.
“No,” Ruby replies
quickly, “but it seems
that speaking about © Barnet, Enfield &
myself makes it easier Haringey NHS Trust
for people to talk about
themselves, so I hope
that‟s a good thing.”
I mention a theory held
by a friend of mine, who
has bipolar disorder. He Ruby says: “When I
thinks his illness is first entered a mental
obvious to others, so he health ward, I thought,
11
doesn‟t need to tell „I feel at home. These
anyone he has it: he are my people.‟” And
 Lovely Jewish and Jewishish resources

Serious Books
Caring for Jewish Patients by Joseph Spitzer
Judaism in Today's World (Religion in Focus) by Janet Orchard and others

Unserious books
How to Raise a Jewish Dog by Ellis Weiner, Barbara Davilman, and Rabbis of Boca
Raton Theological Seminary

Yes, but is it good for the Jews by Jonny Geller

Haikus for Jews by David M. Bader

Jewish as a Second Language by Molly Katz and Jeff Moores

Websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/

And finally, an „unauthorised‟, celeb-packed, very unPC and equally hilarious video about
a great American Jewish charity, American Jewish World Service
http://bit.ly/ajwsvideo

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