Felicity’s* History

Felicity is a young woman in her teenage years. She has suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). When she attended primary school she had lots of behavioural incidents which disrupted her education. Teachers reported that Felicity was easily distracted in class, fidgety, agitated and displayed erratic behaviour.

At secondary school her behaviour worsened, which she would not acknowledge. This included telling lies, which created gaps in her education. Her emotional and behavioural difficulties resulted in her being moved to an alternative education provision which catered to her needs.

Her home environment was challenging, and following a sexual assault her behaviour escalated. She was using unhealthy coping mechanisms such as going out late, drinking alcohol, taking cannabis and going missing. Felicity coped with mood fluctuations via self-harm, as she described preferring physical pain over emotional pain. Throughout these difficulties, Felicity never accessed any formal mental health services.

When Felicity Came to Us

Felicity was admitted to Cygnet Joyce Parker Hospital under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act. She presented with chaotic behaviour, due to an attempted overdose on the day of admission.

She struggled with restrictions, and displayed increasingly aggressive behaviours towards staff as they tried to prevent her from hurting herself. When she arrived at Cygnet Joyce Parker Hospital, Felicity was also very reluctant to engage with the on-site Summit School for her education, she would often fall asleep during education time or refuse to attend.

Felicity’s Care

Felicity slowly started to engage with the Multi-disciplinary team (MDT). The nursing and therapy departments were able to stabilise her medication and put into place an observation reduction plan, Felicity found this empowering to have more freedom within the hospital.

The psychology sessions were challenging for Felicity, as they explored relationship boundaries and self-harm. These topics were difficult for her to discuss, it was clear that she had been using unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with tough emotions and traumatic events.

The team slowly encouraged Felicity to take her Section 17 leave, this was a huge milestone as she was slowly able to regain independence in the community, and started to rebuild connections with family and friends.

Felicity only began engaging academically with Summit School when her exams were imminent. She would speak with education staff and was polite, gradually she started to attend school more as her mood stabilised with new medication.

Felicity faced challenges along her recovery journey, including deteriorations in her mental health and increased desire to self-harm as a means of coping. Through these times the staff provided wrap around support and regular reviews to keep her safe. In spite of the challenges, Felicity was supported by Summit School to still attend education. Her teachers tailored her Individual Education Plan (IEP) to provide strategies for educational success, not only in her exams but in other subject areas. When the exams were imminent Felicity engaged really well with her lessons and became more motivated.

She sat her exams within Summit School, and was provided with a prompter as an access arrangement and allowed supervised rest breaks. Felicity received her final results in late 2023, she received grade 4 in three subjects and was delighted with this news.

Felicity Today

Felicity is compliant with her medication, and continuing to engage well with the psychology team. Although it has been challenging for her at times, she now understands the importance of self-care and seeking support. Felicity is working on a discharge plan, so that she is able to manage her triggers within a community setting when she moves on.

Felicity is currently waiting for a placement within the community, and is working with her social worker to find a location closer to her family home.

Since her admission, and completion of exams, Felicity has stated that she would like to work in healthcare. She has made incredible progress during her time at Cygnet, and all the staff wish her the best for the future.

*Name has been changed to protect her identity