FLS rangers positively impacting young people’s mental health
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is playing its part in supporting young people facing metal health challenges.
Recently, FLS community rangers hosted 18 NHS staff from Glasgow - across multiple mental health disciplines, including nurses, specialist occupational therapists, and psychologists – at an outdoor focused learning and developmental day.
FLS staff demonstrated and shared a selection of activities designed to help young people facing mental health challenges to get outside and connect with nature.
This collaboration is part of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde CAMHS Therapeutic Forest Group Programme. The programme is run in conjunction with CAMHS Occupational Therapists and FLS forest rangers. It makes use of the FLS managed Cuningar Loop and other local sites. The programme acts as an introduction to local greenspaces, particularly in an urban setting, and how to make the most of them.
With figures from the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland showing one in four young people in Scotland facing mental health challenges every week, spending time in nature is proving to be a valuable tool for health professionals to use when helping those who need support.
FLS Community Ranger Amanda Malcolm said:
“As community rangers, we work closely with NHS teams to share and develop activities that can be used to support young people. These activities can then help show young people the value of greenspaces for their mental health and wellbeing.
“Tasks included creating bird seed feeders made from apples and 'emotion gnomes' from wood cuttings. The sessions are an opportunity to learn practical personal, social, emotional and technical skills through hands-on learning in a woodland environment. The activities are not complex, are accessible and can be tailored for all ages and abilities. Sensory, motor, social and emotional skills all play an important part."
Spending time outdoors is known to boost a person’s mood, lower stress levels and improve overall mental (and physical) health.
Amanda added:
“With responsibility for managing large areas of Scotland’s outdoor spaces, we want to make sure the benefits nature can provide are accessible to everyone. That’s why our community rangers work hard to support and provide these opportunities.”
The outdoors provides an alternative therapy base for NHS staff working with young people. Therapeutic work traditionally undertaken in a clinic is adapted to the outdoor environment through a learning and play based approach.
South CAMHS Team Lead Occupational Therapist Shona Ferguson said:
“Our ongoing collaboration with Forestry and Land Scotland is a real success story. The opportunities to learn, explore and develop the skills and strategies for both staff, and the young people we support, in our local greenspaces have been invaluable.
“The positive changes that we see, and that are self-reported, are inspirational. The openness and welcoming manner of the rangers are key to this, encouraging positive community experiences.
“The developmental days are an excellent opportunity for the wider CAMHS clinical team to gain an insight and increase their knowledge and understanding of how young people can benefit most from outdoor therapy.”
Notes to editors
- Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.
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