I have known Jacqui Dillon for several years now — we first met in the early 2000s when she attended the London-based Critical Mental Health Forum, in which I was also involved. Jacqui has been an extremely effective developer of services in the third sector. She developed the London Hearing Voices Project and has also chaired the national Hearing Voices Network for several years.
She is a thoughtful and innovative worker who builds good collaborative relationships both with those who use mental health services and with mental health professionals. She has also been very effective in securing funding for those organisations with which she works.
I work on a clinical psychology training programme and Jacqui has taught sessions on a range of topics on our programme for several years now. Trainees have said that she is a very engaging and inspiring speaker who also has lots of practical advice about how to bring change in mental health services.
When I’ve seen Jacqui speak I also have been moved and inspired. Given her earlier career as a journalist it is no surprise that she has been doing more writing, recently co-editing Living with Voices. She has a national and international reputation and is approached by a range of media organisations for comments in relation to voice hearing and mental health more generally.
Dr Dave Harper, Reader in Clinical Psychology, University of East London. Academic Tutor on the Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology programme.