Educators learning with, from and about each other: lessons from a UK project Jill Anderson, Hilary Burgess and Lynn Tang Mental Health in Higher Education

It is generally accepted that interprofessional education provides a platform on which interprofessional practice can be built. Our starting point... what lays the foundation for interprofessional education? but

Building blocks for effective practice Effective practice in practice Interprofessional working Interprofessional learning for educators Interprofessional working Interprofessional learning

Who are the educators? Academics Practice educators Service users Patients and carers Families Students?

Effective practice Interprofessional working in practice Interprofessional learning Interprofessional working in higher education Interprofessional learning for educators Service user and carer involvement

Why IPE is important in mental health Government policy for interprofessional practice (e.g. new integrated trusts, 10 Essential Shared Capabilities, New Ways of Working, regulators requirements) Growing importance placed on the perspectives of service users (patients) and carers, and the emphasis they place on the need for collaborative practice

Mental Health in Higher Education The Mental Health in Higher Education project (mhhe) aims to enhance learning and teaching about mental health through increasing networking and the sharing of approaches across the disciplines in higher education.

Initial research showed Many mental health educators were isolated and had little opportunity for engagement with educators from other disciplines had difficulty in keeping up with pace of change in practice and policy Anderson, 2003

mhhe partners Educators from 5 Subject Centres of the Higher Education Academy Medicine, Psychology, Social Work, Teaching, Health Disciplines (nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy, physiotherapy etc ) 2 Universities with Centres for Mental Health education (Birmingham and Middlesex) and one with a Centre for Workforce Development in mental health (Lincoln) Developers of User and Carer Involvement in Education (DUCIE) network

Information exchange: mhhe database of MH educators, now e-bulletin 6 times a year web-site exemplars of teaching and learning good practice guides e.g. Learning From Experience national electronic discussion group information sheets re mental health teaching in each discipline

IPE for educators: levels personal institutional regional national international

IPE for educators: Tools o workshops o networking sessions o information exchange web publications

IPE for educators: networking personal interests Teaching about arts/theatre and MH across the professions Teaching about spirituality and MH across the professions Models for involving service users in teaching Professional regulation requirements for teaching about risk and confidentiality

IPE for Educators: institutional themes and examples A symposium for educators from 6 disciplines to share innovation and dilemmas in teaching mental health (University of Birmingham) Meeting held across disciplines in one university to discuss national policy development and its implications for practice and education

IPE for Educators: regional themes and examples Developing regional networks Assessing practice Use of terminology Teaching about values Updates on policy and practice Identifying key local regional resources Sharing success and challenges in working with other professions

IPE for Educators: national themes and examples Creating opportunities for dialogue, through national events (e.g. User involvement in learning and teaching about mental health) Showcasing innovations in MH education, including use of information technology Bringing disciplines together through the mhhe steering group Nurturing communities of practice eg the Developers of User and Carer Involvement (DUCIE) network

IPE for educators – international themes and examples EIPEN

IPE for educators: some questions What needs to be in place if interprofessional learning is to take place between educators? To what extent are such opportunities available (and developed) within universities? How can they be enhanced?

Enhancing IPE for educators – an exercise Design a university/practice setting in which interprofessional learning opportunities for educators are maximised. How close is this picture to a description of your own university or practice base? What strategies might you introduce to enhance interprofessional learning opportunities for educators? What resources would be helpful?

Contact details Mental Health in Higher Education Jill Anderson: Hilary Burgess: Lynn Tang:

References Anderson J. (2003) Keeping in Touch, Mental Health Today, September Anderson, J. & Burgess, H. (2007) Educators Learning Together: linking communities of practice in Stickley, T. & Basset, T. (eds) Teaching Mental Health, Chichester: John Wiley Karban, K. & Smith, S., Talking the talk and walking the walk – developing interprofessional learning in higher education (Poster presentation) Steinert, Y. (2005) Learning together to teach together: Interprofessional education and faculty development, Journal of Interprofessional Care, Volume 19, Supplement 1, 60-75