Expert by Experience: Approved Mental Health Professional study

Abstract

The current paper presents auto-ethnographic reflection of my experience of teaching on the Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) programme. I begin by setting the context with some biographical information before going on to describe and reflect on my experiences teaching and assessing on this programme. I reflect on presenting myself to the students, and the process of developing trust with them. I further consider how my story seemed to impact on the students, but how being part of the process also impacted on me and my own experiences. Being mindful of the responsibility an AMHP carries, which can be life changing, is something all professionals will be aware of; the importance of Service Receivers being part of their training is critical so they can understand the impact their decisions can have on individual people.