Compassion in Crisis Updates

Compassion in Crisis explores and documents experiences of mental health crisis by Surrey-based autistic adults and/or adults with learning disabilities. It is a collaboration between Surrey Coalition of Disabled People, Surrey County Council, Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership, and Systems Safety Limited.

Since January 2023, Dawn and Alex have conducted interviews in-person and online with participants. Special thanks to Active Prospects for facilitating some of these interviews. Currently, the researchers are proofreading and analysing the interview transcripts.

The project’s steering group met regularly to provide advice to the researchers and troubleshoot where necessary. The steering group is made up of autistic people and/or people with learning disabilities, and carers, who provide input based on their direct experience of mental health crisis support.

In June and July, Alex will be going to Autism Suicide Prevention Training, delivered by Autism Oxford UK. These sessions explore myths and misconceptions around mental health crisis and suicide in the autistic community.

Get involved: If you are autistic and/or have a learning disability, have experienced a mental health crisis which may or may not have led to an unplanned admission to a mental health hospital or specialist unit, and are interested in being interviewed, please email: alex.hird@surreycoalition.org.uk

Links for organisations mentioned in the blog:

System Safety Limited: https://systemssafety.co.uk/

Active Prospects: https://activeprospects.org.uk/

Autism Oxford: https://autismoxford.com/