TASC The Ambulance Staff Charity is delighted to welcome Dr Jennifer Wild, Associate Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford and a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, as Clinical Adviser. Jennifer brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will underpin and guide our mental health support and provision at a time of unprecedented demand for our services.
The number of support services enquiries made to TASC has increased nearly five-fold since 2015, with those seeking support for their mental health growing from eight per cent of cases in 2015 to over 80% of cases so far in 2018.
Dr Jennifer Wild has been working in a clinical research capacity with paramedics for the past 15 years, during which time she has been able to identify predictors of who is likely to become unwell over time, and develop a programme to modify some of those predictors in order to keep people well earlier in their career and for longer. As a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Jennifer also delivers therapy for a range of patients facing a variety of mental health problems, working within NICE guidelines.
Said Dr Jennifer:
“I’m really excited to be working with TASC. My interests in this field align exactly with the ethos and goals of the charity. I’m passionate about ensuring that the health of people who are working to help others is a priority and that they are kept well, so that they can do the job that they’re meant to do and that they are drawn to, and when they’re not doing their job, that they can enjoy their life outside of their work. Research shows that mental health is a problem in the emergency services so it’s great that TASC is out there and able to offer help and fairly immediate access to treatment.”
Sue Noyes, Chair at TASC The Ambulance Staff Charity, said:
“It’s vital that we actively and continually reflect on our support services provision to ensure that it remains relevant, evidence-based, and fit for purpose. We’ve seen unprecedented growth in demand for our mental health services and Jennifer will help us to ensure that we are agile and responsive, and that all those we support can access the most effective available care.”
Angie Crashley, TASC Support Services Manager, added:
“We’re listening to feedback and are in the process of broadening some of our service areas to respond to changing needs, so having Jennifer’s knowledge and experience to guide us is great news for our beneficiaries.”
To find out more about TASC The Ambulance Staff Charity or to access any of our support services, visit www.theasc.org.uk, call 02477 987922 or email enquiries@theasc.org.uk
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