Jonathan Watkins

Jonathan Watkins has a background in managing and teaching community and hospital mental health services in the UK and developing countries. He left employment as a Commissioning Manager in 2001 and now works as an independent consultant to promote the human rights of people with a mental illness and develop services that meet local needs. Jonathan's interests are models of psychosocial support for individuals and communities recovering from violent conflict, deinstitutionalisation and support for vulnerable families in isolated rural areas. Jonathan contributed to the closure of psychiatric hospitals and the development of community care services in the UK and is interested in institutional support and reform in developing countries. Jonathan's teaching interests are to promote mental health awareness and good practice in health and social care delivery in developing countries. He has experience of teaching in Sri Lanka, The Russian Federation, Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. In the UK, Jonathan teaches social workers on community care and issues of personality disorder. Jonathan works with solicitors representing psychiatric patients who are compulsorily detained in hospital. He provides independent opinion on the validity of their clients' detention in hospital and is an expert witness at review tribunals.