Our programmes
Employ your Mind
EYM is an innovative project run in partnership between Fife Employment Access Trust (FEAT) and Fife Health & Social Care Mental Health Services.
The programme aims to assist people who have a severe and enduring mental health condition and who have experienced long term psychiatric care to consider their long term future outside this environment.
We prepare students, over a period of 6-months, with a combination of psychiatric, cognitive and soft skills to be better placed to make informed choices within the support frameworks available to them.
EYM has 4 phases of 6-weeks and is delivered at FEAT's offices in Glenrothes, but also in community venues across Fife. By the end of EYM successful students enter new horizons linked to their future wellbeing including leisure, volunteering and work related activities. Our wide range of funders contribute towards Employ your Mind for adults (18+) with severe and enduring mental health conditions and young people aged 15-18 who may have uncertainty about their diagnosis, however are experiencing severe mental health issues.
The programme has attracted international interest and WISE Employment in Melbourne, Australia, have replicated EYM down under, with our training and support. A key component of the success of the programme has been embedding cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) within each phase, an evidence-based therapy that uses games as a way of developing strategies to overcome daily challenges and difficulties.
From late 2019, we are also running the first veteran-specific EYM course in partnership with Veterans F1rst Point and with funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, further updates will follow.
Fife Individual Placement & Support Service (Fife IPS)
Aimed at people with severe and enduring mental health conditions who genuinely want to gain paid employment. Dedicated 1-1 support from an Employment Specialist enables participants to focus on applying for work in roles that they are interested in - rather than just finding any job.
IPS gets people into competitive employment first with training and support once in the job. The service is assessed externally each year and given a rating against a recognised "Fidelity Scale" for IPS and we are proud to be currently rated as "exemplary" - despite having just been established in April 2015. The European Social Fund contributes 45% of the total funding for the service.
Journey to Work
Journey to Work is available to anyone with a mental health issue and comprises a range of courses with some 1-1 support to help people better self-manage their mental health and focus on gaining work. Participants don't need to take part in all of the elements of the programme, a plan will be created for each individual at the initial registration meeting, and reviewed regularly.
- Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) This 8 week course helps clients understand the role of negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours in their lives whilst providing clients tools to help begin to turn their lives around.
- Set Targets and Reach Success (STARS) A 6 week course that seeks to help clients clarify their goals and progress towards them. Covering topics such as comfort zones, courage and managing anxiety. This course draws extensively from solution-focused and existential coaching principles to help clients develop a sense of positive change and improved well-being.
- Mindfulness In this eight week course clients will develop a deeper understanding and personal practice of Mindfulness. The course is organised so that clients can experience the benefits of deliberately and compassionately focusing awareness on the present moment, and how this enriches our involvement with each moment as it happens.
- Brief Solution Focused Coaching Positive changes in one area of a person’s life can have effects on seemingly unrelated areas of life, such as a person’s journey back to work. Brief solution focused coaching is an approach that works with individuals to clarify their own goals, utilising their personal competencies, resources and strengths to find their own solution to making a positive change in their life.
Silverburn Park
A range of volunteering opportunities exist with our programmes at Silverburn Park, Leven.
Whilst our long-term aim is to regenerate the whole Park and the former flax mill on site, in the lead-up to this we are seeking volunteers to assist with a growing project, general estate maintenance and organising and running events.
Visit the dedicated website for further information.
COALFIELDS WORX
Programme underway in January 2020
FEAT are working in partnership with the Coalfields Regeneration Trust to deliver a series of community and environmental improvements to Kincardine and the surrounding area.
Project Leader, Ross Sinclair, heads up a team of 3 Community Maintenance Assistants who are focused on sprucing up Kincardine, whilst also engaging a wide range of accredited training to support their ongoing employment prospects after this 1-year pilot.
All paid positions are now taken up, however there are some volunteering opportunities within the programme and if you're interested, contact Duncan Mitchell at FEAT for further details.
Corporate Services
We deliver a range of bespoke mental health related training and consultancy to employers across the world. As well as Fife-based employers, we have delivered training in Dorset and Melbourne in the past year - contact us to learn more.
CRT training is available to health and employability organisations interested in embedding this into their work - get in touch to discuss your requirements.
We also provide mindfulness tasters and/or 8-week courses to organisations which has proved to be increasingly popular - contact us for further details.
Peer 2 Peer
FEAT are piloting a Peer Support programme - recognising the voice of lived experience can be a great benefit to others. Participants tend to be former FEAT service users, undergoing training in peer support and then gaining opportunities to volunteer and support our staff team deliver the range of programmes above. Unfortunately, this programme is currently time-limited due to funding and we are not taking referrals at present.
Relax Kids
As well as programmes for people considering employment, FEAT also deliver Relax Kids and mindfulness-based activities within nurseries, primary and secondary schools across Fife - giving young people the opportunity to learn a strategy to cope with future life events and challenges, be more resilient and look after their mental health and wellbeing.
Our programme is part of a wider "Our Minds Matter" framework in Fife education services, promoting better wellbeing for students, staff and parents.
Please note this programme is ending in March 2020 and no new referrals are being accepted at this time.