Yvonne Christie

Yvonne Christie has been working in the field of mental health and community development for some 20 odd years. Yvonne has a background in Community and Youth work, starting her mental health work as a practitioner managing people with long term mental health needs who were living in group homes after many years in the long stay mental health hospitals. After working locally for around 5 years Yvonne began her national journey through the capable hands of the Kings Fund Centre where she developed national perspectives and networking under the guidance, support and directorship of Barbara Stocking, now Director of Oxfam. After leaving the Kings Fund with a Masters degree under her belt, Yvonne started working freelance, taking the opportunity to work with the DOH Mental Health Task Force under the leadership of David King and she hasn’t looked back. She has worked with many of the major national mental health projects and charities such as MIND, Mental Health Foundation, Strategies for Living and SCMH. She is proud to be one of the 3 founder members of the Afiya Trust.

Yvonne has been at the forefront of community development initiatives such as Family Health Isis (Lewisham); the concept of an alternative to hospital for Black people, renamed Ipamo, the Breaking Circles of Fear process and programme, and the Changing Outcomes Programme within Camden & Islington.

One of the current roles that Yvonne fulfils and enjoys is working as a part-time fieldwork and professional workshop tutor on the 2 year Community and Youth work course for Turning Point at the University of London Goldsmith College. This gives Yvonne the opportunity to share her experiences and knowledge by assisting learning apprentices to become the ‘next generation’ of community and youth workers in the borough of Lewisham.

Yvonne Christie has a Masters degree in the psychology of mental health services development from Kent University, a diploma in Community and Youth work from Goldsmith College, University of London, a diploma in Black Therapy, and a certificate in counselling. She has recently completed a Hearing Voices Training course in order to co- facilitate a group for Black women in London.

Yvonne is committed to working for change for people who are currently caught up in the mental health system and also for those people who have not as yet had that privilege.