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To engage some of the UK’s most challenging young people through an innovative ‘street therapy’ approach, and promote wellbeing amongst this socioeconomically deprived group, many of whom have complex mental health and social care needs and act as a bridge to access appropriate mainstream services.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Mental health difficulties are up to three times more prevalent in young offenders than in the general population of young people (Hagell, 2002); however, people must actively seek help from the UK’s Mental Health Services, thus alienating many young people for whom this is an inconceivable task. These young people are typically overlooked until their mental health needs escalate and/or offending careers are in flight, which is arguably far too late.
Solution
MAC-UK strongly believes that young people are more able to help once they have established trusting relationships and a sense of self worth, and that traditional services do not sufficiently recognise this. Our work centres on developing trust and empowerment, tackling the root causes of mental health difficulties before it is too late and providing a pioneering, long term solution to the complex area of youth crime.