This list of ‘commandments’ was sent to me by a friend and fellow mental health worker, Margreeth H.

It’s a list of some of the most important principles that good practice is derived from in mental health care. I was struck by both the lists simplicity (always a bonus when attempting to influence practice) and also its focus which gets to the heart not only of ‘task-based’ responsibility but also the equally important ‘relationship’ aspects of mental health care.

It’s not an exhaustive list – let’s face it a meaningful set of 20 principles can never cover everything. To try to do that would mean making the individual commandments so general that they would become vague and almost meaningless. Instead this list represents some of the more important ‘core’ aspects of good quality mental health care.

I’m grateful to Margreeth H. for allowing me to publish these commandments here.

You can find Margreeth H. on Twitter by following @mrgr8 – it will be worth it if you do.

Here are the ’20 commandments for mental health workers’:

1. Thou shalt respect your client and not judge;
2. Thou shalt increase the well-being, opportunities and happiness of your client;
3. Thou shalt be in time for appointments and ‘phone calls. It will show your client that he matters;
4. Thou shalt have a well-chosen and well-timed sense of humour;
5. Thou shalt reconsider your ‘professional distance’ if it makes your client feel he stands alone;
6. Thou shalt not let your bad mood or personal issues influence yor professional attitude;
7. Thou shalt have an open conversation if your client is suicidal and give good support and protection if necessary;
8. Thou shalt not hide behind a newspaper on the ward or make any other unapproachable impression otherwise;
9. Thou shalt not hide and chat in the nurses’ offices but be with your clients as much as possible to create a safe and friendly environment;
10. Thou shalt consider family and good friends of your clients as team players (unless it’s impossible) and support them well in the interests of your client;
11. Thou shalt inspire and support your colleagues to make mental healthcare as good and friendly as possible and ask and give feedback on a regular basis to become a ‘winning team’;
12. Thou shalt inform your clients well about side effects of medication, observe well and help to find solutions if needed;
13. Thou shalt not avoid the subject ‘sexual side effects of medication’;
14. Thou shalt help your client to get good dental and physical care and support them on doctor and dentist visits if needed;
15. Thou shalt help your client to exercise on a regular basis by taking them for a walk (or run) to increase their health;
16. Thou shalt support your client to overcome financial or housing problems and fight bureaucracy;
17. Thou shalt listen well to the client’s aspirations for their life and give support to achieve them;
18. Thou shalt stand up for the rights of your client;
19. Thou shalt fight the stigma of mental illness on every opportunity;
20. Thou shalt help your client to keep up hope.

If you’d like to know more about Margreeth’s work and insights into mental health care

please do follow @mrgr8 on twitter. you’ll be glad you did.