Mental Health News Round-up (Part 2), Winter 2022

MVA offer another selection of recent articles related to Mental Health.

We Listen Kent & Medway
A mental health support hub is available in Kent and Medway, where people can find free NHS talking therapies in their local area.

We Listen is a collaborative of eight local talking therapy providers, to give residents of Kent & Medway easy access to free NHS mental health support.

We Listen say it can be a big step to ask for help with your mental health but give the reassurance that they will support people on their mental health journey, now and in the future.

More information about finding free NHS talking therapies across the county can be found on the We Listen website.

This May Help – Children’s Mental Health Advice for Parents and Carers
A new national initiative providing mental health advice to parents and carers has recently been being launched.

Delivered by Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership (BDCHCP), This May Help is a new national initiative providing mental health advice to parents and carers has been.

Aimed at parents and carers who may have concerns about their child’s mental health, the initiative is also for professionals who work with children.

Mainly delivered through the dedicated website, initiative offers easy-to-follow advice to help families manage their child’s mental health.

It was developed by NHS professionals in collaboration of parents and carers who have been through their own child’s mental health journey; sharing advice that helped them so that it may also help other families.

Further details are available on the dedicated website.

Coming Soon - Introducing Mental Health Together
A new service is being developed by Kent and Medway's Community Mental Health Transformation programme to support people with complex mental health needs.

There is now more need to provide people that have complex mental health needs with support that responds to all parts of their life. This includes their psychological, physical, and social needs.

So that they can lead fulfilling lives, they should be able to access the right care and support when and where they need it.

In April 2021, transformation work started in Kent and Medway with the creation of a team of NHS staff and a dedicated group of Lived Experience colleagues.

This team worked with several organisations system-wide to build a new programme of care to support people with serious and enduring mental illness and other complex needs.

This programme in Kent and Medway is called Mental Health Together.

The Mental Health Together service will put the person and their family back at the centre of their care and joins up support from services that can help them.

The aim of this service is to support people whose needs cannot be met by existing therapies (IAPT), but who also do not present a level of need to be referred to secondary care services.

Expected to start later in 2023, the new service is seen as a phased approach to changes for Medway, where NHS staff will work together with suitable partners from other organisations.

To find out more about this upcoming service, visit the programme developer’s website.

If you do not feel you can keep yourself or another adult safe from immediate risk of harm, you should phone the 24-hour helpline from the Kent and Medway Partnership Trust (KMPT)
The Trust offers this FREE 24-hour helpline for urgent mental health support and advice:
The helpline is available on 0800 783 9111.

More details are available on the Medway Council Website.
You can also call the Samaritans, free, 24/7 on 116 123

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If you would like to see coverage of specific news or subject to help your charity, your project, your community group or enterprise, you can get in touch by email at info@mva.org.uk, you can also contact MVA via the website.