In January 2021, the Berkeley Foundation gave a grant of £20,000 to our charity partner Settle to pilot a mental health project for the young people Settle supports. This was in response to the growing need for targeted mental health support for young people who were struggling to access the right help in the wake of the pandemic.
Settle worked on a theory that it would be more beneficial for young people to choose their own therapist than employ an in-house therapist to work with all young people.
This approach has proved to be one of the biggest successes of the project. For young people to be able to select their therapist, with the support of their Programme Officer, has been highlighted by young people as an empowering option. It has allowed them to choose therapists that have experience in specific areas that they would like to focus on, or therapists with shared characteristics such as race.
One of Settle’s young people shared just how important this option was to them:
“I really enjoyed the fact that I got to see the person’s face and there were multiple selections of who I consider suited to my particular needs as my therapist. I really enjoyed that it had the information about what they do and their hobbies, their profile details showing both their experiences and what type of therapy they specialise in.”
23 young people accessed the project, receiving 342 sessions of therapy.
The project has given Settle real insight into the difference quick access to mental health can prevent issues to escalate, and the impact being able to relate to your therapist can have on the young people.
Clare Maddison, Interim Head of the Berkeley Foundation, comments:
“This project is a prime example of the impact that can be achieved when young people are able to make their own choices about the support they want and need. Settle’s Mental Health Project listens to young people and lets them choose what’s right for them.”