Facilitator Toolkit – CHIME Mapping

CHIME Mapping Activity – Step by step instructions for a group activity to facilitate discussions around recovery, using CHIME framework. This activity uses a tree and fruit to create an engaging visual.  

Materials available below include; a page which shows the fruit with clues to help define their corresponding CHIME element. Another page has the fruit which are ready to print for anyone wishing to carry out this activity. The Blank tree with roots and clouds can also be printed poster size as re-usable base for this activity.

Session Summary

Preparations

  • Use the Bluetack to stick four pieces of flipchart paper to the wall and draw a tree. There is one fruit to represent each element of CHIME so ensure there is plenty of room on the tree for everyone’s five fruit. Add in roots at the bottom and clouds at the top of your tree to represent the challenges and barriers to recovery (see photo below).
  • Distribute the cut-out fruit among the group so that every person will have one of each. Share the supplementary clues sheet to support peoples understanding of CHIME. 
  • Resources
    • Flipchart paper
    • Flipchart pens
    • Blue-tack
    • CHIME fruits printed and cut out
    • Pens for each participant
Tip

Prepare small balls of Blue-tack for each of the fruit to be stuck onto the tree. 

Welcome and introduction –Safety and housekeeping

  • Check-in:
    • During the check-in, be sure that there is no pressure to share.
    • Option to create a Group Agreement if your group doesn’t already have one.
Tip

Ideas for a group agreement:

  • Confidentiality
  • Safe space
  • Everybody feels heard

Introduce CHIME

  • CHIME is a recovery framework:
  • The CHIME framework was developed using evidence by Leamy et al. (2011) and identifies five core components for effective recovery.
    • Connectedness – Good relationships, peer support, community
    • Hope and optimism – Belief in recovery, motivation to change, positive thinking, dreams
    • Identity – Positive sense of self, overcoming stigma, “person not diagnosis”
    • Meaning – Purpose in life, feeling valid, contributing
    • Empowerment – Focus on strength, control, personal responsibility

CHIME activity

  • Ask your group members to write how your group/organisation improves their recovery with each aspect of CHIME, on each piece of fruit.
  •  E.g. “How does this group make you feel connected?” (answers written on the plum) – “How does this organisation give you hope?” (answers written on the blackberry)
  • Encourage the group to chat and share ideas while they fill out their fruit. If anybody is stuck, you can prompt them to discuss the clues on the ‘CHIME fruit with clues’ sheet.
  • Option – If people are comfortable, you can invite them to bring their fruit up to the tree and share what they have written with the group as they stick their fruit to the tree. This can also help people who are struggling to think of answers.
  • Reflect:
    • If you have time, reflect on the contributions the group have made and think about the themes that have emerged.
Tip

Ask the group to do this for all fruit together as a way to save time and prevent repetition.

Clouds and roots activity

  • This activity can be completed by people writing individually on Post-its, or as a group with the facilitator writing directly onto the clouds/roots as the group share their ideas.
  • The clouds – represent people’s barriers to getting support or entering recovery.
  • It can be interesting to find out what people have overcome to get to where they are, and give ideas for how to make the group/organisation more accessible.
  • E.g. “What challenges did you face when you first started coming to this group?”
  • The roots – The roots represent what keeps people coming to the group and keeps them in recovery.
  • This is a good way to find out about people’s ‘recovery capital’ (the things in people’s lives that help them maintain their recovery) – Supportive family members or work environments are an example of recovery capital.
  • E.g. “What keeps you coming here?” – “What helps you stay connected with this organisation?”
  • Resources  
    • Post-its – optional
Tip

Depending on how much time you have, the clouds and roots activity can be completed during a separate session.

End of activity

  • End with some reflections on the overall story that the tree tells us. What have we learned and what shall we do with this information?
  • Take pictures of the tree and the fruit or type up people’s answers as a way of recording what has come up during this activity.
  • Resources  
    • Camera – optional

Getting in Touch

Please send us an email at his.alcoholanddrugs@nhs.scot if you: 

  • have a question about our programme or resources 
  • would like to speak to a member of our team about our work