Profile
Karen Innes
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Qualifications:
- Open University 1 year Access Course called People, Work and Society.
- Health Coaching Skills – Personalised Care Institute
- Shared Decision Making – Personalised Care Institute
- Personalised Care and Support Planning
- Motivational Interviewing skills – Personalised Care Institute
- NHS Health Education England – The Care Certificate
- Level 2 Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties
- Level 2 Understanding Behaviour that Challenges
- Level 2 Mental Health Awareness
- NVQ Level 3 Management
- O level – Maths, English Lit, English Lang, Theatre Arts and Art;
- CSE – French and Physics
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Work History:
I started my career in supply chain and logistics for over 20 years. After my children left home I decided to have a full change in career and do something that I wanted to do, so that I would look forward to going to work every day.
5 years ago at the age of 48, my mental health career started by working as an outreach worker within the homeless community, who have chaotic and lonely lives often with substance abuse. This was where I realised how many people and organisations don’t take the time to understand a whole person, or learn to appreciate the needs of anyone’s mental health. This is when I knew I wanted to try and make a difference.
From there I moved into the NHS as a community support worker supporting patients who have experienced severe mental ill health including Psychosis, EUPD, Bipolar, PTSD and Suicide Ideation, following their discharge from hospital back to the community.
In April last year I moved from the community to a GP setting and I now support many Patients as part of a group of 4 GP surgeries.
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Current Job:
Mental Health Care Coordinator and Mental Health Community Support Worker
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Workplace:
Primary Care Network (4 GP Practices)
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About Me:
I am 53 and a mother of 4. I live with my husband, my cat and my dog. I am a motivated professional with a caring and compassionate nature. I like to ride my bike and recently rode 200 miles to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease. I used to be a karate instructor and I used to breed snakes!!
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My pronouns are:
She/her
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My Work:
I am a Mental Health Care Coordinator and I provide mental health support for the patients of four GP surgeries in Lincoln City centre. I also have a second job as a Community Support Worker for people with Serious Mental Health conditions who have been discharged from hospital and need support being in the community.
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My Typical Day:
Across the week I have 16 x 1-hour, Face to face appointments at clinics in GP surgery’s and 24 telephone appointments available for vulnerable, at-risk patients as well as triage calls and support calls for the PCN Mental Health Nurse. I also connect with the community and attend many community groups and meetings to improve services available to our patients. The support I give is holistic and are specifically targeted interventions around Anxiety, Mood Management, Isolation, staying safe, relapse prevention, building confidence and direction/Self-regulation. I talk to patients, but most importantly I listen.
