Greater Manchester Mental Health Researcher nominated ‘Best Newcomer’ at BABCP conference
A huge congratulations to Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust’s (GMMH) very own Helen Perez-Luna, who has been nominated for the ‘Best Newcomer’ award at this year’s British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) 2024 conference!
The BABCP is the lead organisation for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in the UK and Ireland. The 2024 national conference was hosted at the University of Manchester from 23 to 26 July, included workshops, training and seminars on the latest developments in CBT and attracted attendees from around the world.
The ‘Best Newcomer’ award recognises an exceptional standard of presentation given by the clinician or researcher who presents an open paper new to the field of published research.
Helen Perez-Luna is a senior practitioner and Cognitive Behavioural Therapist for the Later Life Central Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) at GMMH’s Chorlton House location. Since completing her post-graduate diploma, sponsored by GMMH, Helen’s most recent research has looked at CBT for psychosis (CBTp) and the Feeling Safe Programme.
This year, Helen produced an academic poster setting out the application of the Feeling Safe Programme in Later Life Services and called for more CBTp programmes to be delivered for older adults and the continuation of research into the impact of the therapy.
Commenting on the award, Helen said:
“I am so thrilled to have been nominated for this award! My research demonstrated the incredible impact that the Feeling Safe Programme is having on older adults under the care of Later Life Services in Greater Manchester and shows the need for more secondary care in-patient and community services for this group.
“I am grateful for the support of Professor Daniel Freeman and the Oxford Cognitive Approaches to Psychosis (O-CAP) research group, who developed the Feeling Safe programme and endorsed my academic submission.
“I also want to thank GMMH for supporting my post-graduate diploma and my continued research career alongside my clinical responsibilities. Evidence-based practice sits at the heart of patient-centred practice, and Manchester has such an energetic research community striving to bring about meaningful change for our multicultural community.
“Later Life Services at GMMH are so important, and it’s fantastic to see our team at the cutting edge of research that’s improving the lives of older adults in our community. I anticipate further research to come!”
The Feeling Safe Programme uses CBTp techniques and theory to target persecutory delusions and has been shown to have significant improvements for people experiencing psychosis. It was developed by the University of Oxford’s Cognitive Approaches to Psychosis (O-CAP) research group.
The programme is offered within GMMH’s Later Life Services, which aims to provide the best possible care, treatment, and support to older people with complex mental health care needs including psychosis, bipolar and complex trauma.
Helen has worked as an Advanced Health Practitioner (AHP) for thirty-years, both as a dedicated Occupational Therapist and in the last twenty years as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist working with people experiencing psychosis, bipolar and trauma.
She has worked in Cambridge, London and Manchester, completing her Master of Science at University of Manchester and more recently a post-graduate Diploma supported by GMMH.
Natalie Garratt, the Head of Research & Innovation at GMMH, said:
“Huge congratulations are in order for Helen and GMMH’s Later Life Services, who are demonstrating the huge benefits being a research-active Trust can bring.
“GMMH is committed to supporting its staff to get involved in research, and we encourage all Trust colleagues to embark on a research journey with us. We have clinicians from a wide range of disciplines developing their research skills and portfolio with us.”
You can read Helen Perez-Luna’s research poster here:
If you’re interested in getting involved in research, or starting your own research journey at GMMH, you can find out more at Get involved as GMMH staff | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT or contact Research & Innovation at GMMH by emailing AskAboutResearch@gmmh.nhs.uk
