To take a job in a secure mental health unit for people with schizophrenia

[user1483474832]

My brother had schizophrenia and committed suicide. He was sectioned under the mental health act his entire adult life.

I've been offered a job as the managing social worker of a secure mental health facility working with men with schizophrenia and personality disorders. Most of whom have committed a serious crime such as murder.

My friends think it sounds truly awful. My parents are worried the service users will become fixated on me or I will be in danger. My brother used to become obsessed and dangerous so they're treating all people with schizophrenia like they're him.

Currently I work as a hospital social worker but the department is being closed so I need to find a new job. I have found it impossible to find another job as a hospital social worker and I think that's because my experience has been limited to a very cushy team working with children with learning disabilities. This job would give me incredible experience and the ability (hopefully) to then apply for a nicer job in a general hospital as a hospital social work manager.

My parents don't want me to take the job. They said no pretty young lady should work under those circumstances. The interviewer when he called me in to check references even told me he was expecting some service users to become a bit fixated on me.

I'm not tying to be boastful I'm not saying I'm a stunner but I'm an average young woman.

AIBU to take this job?

If I take it and I hate it it will damage my job chances if I leave without another job offer.


I'm currently having driving lessons. I would really struggle to be in th community as a social work manager without a car. Once I have a car I can get a job pretty easily.

What do you think?

[GimmeeMoore]

Op,what is your mh experience?have you considered AMHP training?
If this is simply a step on job cause your dept is closing,is that a good enough reason?
Your at risk in any frontline role not necessarily mh.in fact mh is safe as the risk is anticipated and planned into operational management

[nooddsocksforme]

i think it would be a stimulating and challenging job. But your post makes you sound very naïve about mental health if you think your main issue in the job will be about you being young, female and pretty . Are you not more concerned about whether you have the skills and experience to be able to work effectively to help this particular group of patients. If you are to be a manager you must understand the importance of maintaining firm boundaries, and not re-enforcing popular misconceptions and stigma towards people with mental illness. research would confirm that people with mental illness are less likely to be aggressive than the general population.

[GimmeeMoore]

I see your POV,but an adult can't tippy toe through life,and career to not hurt parents
I do have misgivings about some of op post,but I'm thinking she's just not articulating v well
Undoubtedly for the op and her parents the impact of brother mh will be deep,and at times raw

[cluelessnewmum]

I'm going to go against the grain here, not because I think you would be in danger but because your parents have already gone through enough.

It is terribly hard for your parents to have a child with schizophrenia, be sectioned, and then to lose them through suicide. Of course it is very hard for you too but it is worse for your parents as it is their child and they harbour (unfounded) guilt as they brought him up so may blame themselves, which of course they shouldn't at all but many do.

They have lost a child because of schizophrenia and in their minds they would be risking losing another. Obviously the vast majority of people with mental health problems are no threat at all but from their perspective this role is working with those who have been dangerous.

Unless you feel working with people with schizophrenia is your calling in life because of your brother, which is fair enough, I think it may be kinder to your parents to find another role if possible as they've been through so much already.

I speak from the perspective of someone who also has a sibling who is sectioned under the mental health act and who is also training for a role in mental health.

But it is your life and your choice of course, but I can understand why your parents feel as they do.

[raviolidreaming]

no wonder so much stigma is attached to mental health. To assume the entire population of the hospital will find you attractive and make you a target because you're young and female and they are male and have a MH illness or personality disorder, is absurd

I have to agree with this, and suspect that this job isn't for you if you would be going into it with such fixed preconceptions.

[GimmeeMoore]

If it's interesting work that suits your aptitude and abilities then yes
In that setting it's very ordered an there is a routine and to an extent hierarchy
Don't take this wrong way way but you can't ask family who don't work in mh to comment on environment or your suitability for it.
You need to be boundaried and consistent in how you apply those boundaries
You'll need to understand risk,risk management,good commmunicaton in team
Your therapeutic skills,demeanour,etc are what you'll be judged upon not your appearance
You'll not be targeted specifically as not all clients are necessarily interested in young females. nor is the risk globally necessarily higher,some clients not all. Having said that you could work in cmht or visit a hospital and experience risk

I'd encourage talk to staff who actually work with this client group in that environment

[alltouchedout]

I'm a social worker in a mental health hospital. We have adult and camhs wards, including PICUs and an LSU; we don't have forensic wards but do sometimes admit forensic patients. It's a challenging but fantastic job.
I don't think people without knowledge and experience of the system can realistically understand the risks and the ways these are assessed and planned and managed. People seem not to believe me when I say I was at far more risk doing home visits in the community, but it's true.
Patients may fixate on you,- it's a risk of the job and you don't need to be young and beautiful fir it to happen. But you deal with it appropriately just as with any other difficult relationship or situation at work.

[bloodypassword]

Go and see the place for yourself - ask questions. Talk to other social workers there. The stigma around secure hospitals is ridiculous. They are secure for gods sake. Patients aren't running around unsupervised, waiting to attack. Most patients will be very unwell. These hospitals will have very very strict policies around conduct by patients and staff.
I work in a similar setting and tbh none of my family were mad keen on it but they don't know anything about the realities of working in mental health. You're qualified and experienced. Presumably you know about boundaries. I think the comment about patient becoming fixated is highly unprofessional.

[DailyFail1]

you aren't working with the bulk of people with the disease (who are sadly only a danger to themselves). You're working with the most dangerous. It's perfectly reasonable to have doubts. Would suggest a shadowing session before you take the job- my friend requested one before she took her position as a MH nurse

[MissSma]

Worked in forensics for 10+ years and only known of 2 indecent/sexual assaults on women on my unit. One was on a fairly butch lesbian, the other on a fairly average woman in her 50's. The men get groped more frequently than the woman TBH.

Brush up on boundary setting and the physical and relational security stuff and you'll be fine.

My parents also hate me working in this sector and I work with women! Am involved in far far more risky incidents now then when I worked with males.

[haveacupoftea]

You aren't a pretty little lady, you're a qualified and experienced social worker.

And yes, you would be mad not to take the job considering you can't drive.

[anyname123]

I've worked in units like this, about 50% of the staff were attractive young women.
To be perfectly blunt, the fact you seem a bit fixated in being pretty, and on what your parents want, make me think the job may not be for you. You need a thick skin and firm boundaries, maybe you just aren't cut out for this line of work.

[CactusFred]

Depends who it's with. If it's Cambion I'd steer well clear for that reason.

[grannytomine]

Just to say in 20 years I had one member of staff who was the subject of a real fixation. The service user threatened to kill her boyfriend, men she worked with, he followed her. It wasn't nice but it isn't common in my experience.

[Freesialala]

For someone apparently about to start working in an intensive high support MH setting, it is worrying how little MH knowledge or experience you appear to have. Maybe do some research before you start or look for a basic MH training course.

[Sienna9522]

I'd say go for, I've learnt loads in the 2 and a half years I've worked in secure forensics.

Can I add - not all of your patients will have psychosis, that's just one of many symptoms of mental illness. Also, the psychotic patients you do work will have their own unique set of symptoms individual to themselves.

[IonaNE]

Go for it, OP! It sounds hugely interesting and rewarding - I wish I was qualified for it!

[WeDONTneedanotherhero]

One of my close friends worked in broadmoor for several years, she's an attractive women and said there were times where is was a bit "hairy" but you quickly become acclimatised to it. she says she learnt a huge amount whilst she was there and glad she did it.

[DeliciousIrony]

I'm a social worker within the hospital segment too (and also looking for a new job as we are being closed!). I think that sort of work sounds really interesting; I'm nowhere near ready to apply for managerial roles, but if a job came up within that setting I would jump at the chance.

Go for a visit and see what you think; I can imagine it being very difficult, particularly with your personal experience which must have been awful That being said, your own experience offers you some empathy and insight which others may not have, and it would gve you a broader range of professional experience.

Good luck!

[Mandatorymongoose]

I'm another RMN, working with men (mostly schizophrenia / personality disorder / substance misuse) although in low secure services now.

I've not found issues with managing boundaries to be any worse than the years I worked in women's services. Different in some ways, men might make rude jokes where women might ask personal questions but that's a vast generalisation.

Sienna is right that your client contact is likely to be much less than ward staff. It's very unlikely you'd be involved in any sort of incident.

[msrisotto]

I've worked with this population for ages and I'm super hot (obvs). Looks don't really come into it. If they're the type to comment on personal appearance then they will, whether you're fat, tall, short etc. I love working in mental health, you might do too

[yorkshapudding]

The interviewer when he called me in to check references even told me he was expecting some service users to become a bit fixated on me

This is a very odd and completely unprofessional thing for him to say!

[user1483474832]

Thanks everyone. I'm not sure if the position is hard to fill. I don't know how I would know.

I've worked as a social worker with ex offenders but it was very different. The people I worked with did not have psychosis.

On paper it probably looks like an almost identical role but in reality is very different.

I would be doing discharge planning. Which is what I do now.

I just haven't had exact experience in a secure mental health hospital.

[FruitCider]

CoconutGal I'm a nurse in a B-Cat prison, I've only been there 4 months but if you have any qs inbox me!

[MelbourneClown03]

I think you should go for it.

No personal experience of working in such settings but over the patient profile, I would be more interested in what your colleagues are like. In an unpredictable and varied work environment, I find that the support and camaraderie of the people you work with really makes or breaks how much you enjoy your job.

Can you arrange an informal visit before formally accepting the role?