Head of Family Child Psychology, Dr Lorraine Johnstone, has been presented with an award from the Butler Trust by HRH The Princess Royal, in recognition of her work to support young people.
Dr Johnstone is involved with a ground-breaking national project working with some of Scotland’s most difficult and troubled young people. The Interventions for Vulnerable Youth (IVY) project which she founded, is open to 12-18 year olds and is a national resource for children who perpetrate serious offences and who are often marginalised and find it difficult to access resources.
Dr Johnstone explained: “The Butler Award was really special because it was borne out of an idea I had working with young people who often fell through the gaps in service because it was difficult to meet their needs. A wide range of colleagues helped support the project so this award reflects the efforts of the whole team.”
NHS Forth Valley’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service awarded part of its Mental Health Innovation Fund to IVY to ensure that children in the local area who need help are seen quickly.
The project, which is based at the University of Strathclyde, has already worked with more than one hundred of Scotland’s most disadvantaged and concerning young people, and evaluations of its impact have been very positive.
