July 2008
Latest...
What Does Mental Health Mean
to You?
Mind believes that the needs
of service users should drive mental health policy.
Mind is asking people who have direct experience of
mental distress to tell us what it means for them and
what they want out of services that are there to help.
One outcome of this work will be an assessment scale
for evaluating treatments that are designed and scored
by service users, not clinicians, that can capture the
things that actually matter to people being treated.
It would really help the work of this project if people
gave their comments. For more information click
here
Campaigns....
Victory for Campaigners on Access
to Talking Therapies
Mind and other charities hail
the highly significant breakthrough as the Government
announces major
investment in psychological treatments.
The Mental Health Act 2007
The Mental Health Bill to amend
the 1983 Mental Health Act completed its parliamentary
stage on July 4th and received Royal Assent, becoming
the Mental Health Act 2007. Thanks to the incredible
endurance and persistence of members of the Alliance
and individuals campaigners who lobbied MPs significant
changes were made to this piece of legislation.
The changes made to the 1983 Mental Health Act can be
viewed here.
Access to Justice
Mind will be campaigning later this year about access
to justice for people who experience mental distress.
To read more click here.
Talking Treatments - Online
Petition
The We
Need To Talk report is the start of a campaign
by five leading mental health organisations to increase
investment in and widen access to psychological therapies
on the NHS. To read the report and find
our more about how you can support the Campaign click
here.
For
Mind's Guide to Talking Therapies click
here
Information....
GP Survey
it is estimated that around 250,000
people visit their GP about an emotional or psychological
problem every day. This is 30 percent of the total
visits made to GPs.
if you have sought help from
your GP about an emotional or psychological problem,the
UK Mental Health Research Network wants to know more
about your experiences.
Please take a few minutes to
tell us about your experiences by completing the outline
questionnaire at www.mentalhealthorg.uk/gp
The findings will be used
to inform GPs of better ways to help and empower their
patients.
National Audit Office Questionnaire
The National Audit Office (NAO)
is carrying out a study on the complaints handling process
for health and social care in England and would like
to hear from service users.
The purpose of the questionnaire
is to examine the views and experiences of service users
and carers on complaints handling, why people do not
complain, and what the strengths and weaknesses of existing
approaches have been.
If you would like to participate
you can fill in their short questionnaire online, or
if you want to find out more about the study click here.
Responses are anonymous. The closing date for
questionnaires is October 31st, 2007.
Mental Capacity Act 2005 - Summary
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 provides a statutory
framework to empower and protect vulnerable people who
are not able to make their own decisions. It makes it
clear who can take decisions, in which situations, and
how they should go about this. It enables people to
plan ahead for a time when they may lose capacity.
For a summary document produced by the Department of
Health click here.
Mind Chief Executive Paul farmer says: "This
Act is an important development, introducing new safeguards
to protect the rights of the most vulnerable people
in our society. It gives people with mental health
problems more control over their lives, so that they
can chose how they are treated if they are unable to
make decisions in the future. It allows them to
choose trusted loved ones to make decisions in their
best interests and empowers them to make choices from
dealing with their finances to their day to day care.
Advocacy services will give a voice to some of the most
isolated people. Most importantly, it gives the
legal backing to ensure their rights are protected"
Legal Mind
Legal Mind is an enewsletter providing up to date information
about developments in mental health law and policy in
a summarised form that it is easily accessible. Legal
Mind contains news, short notes of any new important
legal cases, and details of legal courses run by Mind.
Where possible, there are external links to relevant
web pages and full case reports for practitioners wishing
to read about specific matters in more detail.
Legal Mind is available free of charge but is only
circulated to people who wish to receive it. Legal Mind
is produced mainly for people involved in the delivery
of mental health services, mental health advocates and
lawyers but anyone can subscribe. To receive Legal Mind,
complete and submit the form available here.
Community Notice Board....
Kensington & Chelsea Service
User Network (SUN)
The Service User Network (SUN) has been
set up to expand and develop the work of the Black Unity
Form and the K&C Forum. The SUN exists to create
a network of users and survivors who care about mental
health issues and who want to be part of a dynamic and
influential user movement. Meetings take place twice
a month and are open to all Kensington & Chelsea
service users and survivors who may be thinking of becoming
a member, or who just want to know more about what we
do. For more information contact a SUN Co-ordinator
on 020 8964 1333 ext 8
Carers' Meetings
Being a carer can
feel like the hardest job in the world. The Kensington
& Chelsea Mental Health Carers Group meets monthly
to offer support to carers in the borough. For
more information contact Roseline Okiti or Diane Swire
on 020 7361 3244.
Healthy Minds Workshops
Prmoting Understanding, Recovery and Mental
Wellbeing
Following on from the success of Mind's
"Promoting Wellbeing" workshops, we are launching
our third series of workshops designed to help individuals
understand their mental health condition and develop
ways to support their optimum level of recovery and
wellbeing. The third series of workshops started
in July. For more information contact Angela Mitchell
on 0208 964 1333.
Mind Readers
Reading
for wellbeing book group... meets monthly. Contact
our Advice and Information line for details on 0208
964 1333.
Smoking and Mental
Health
New fact sheet aimed
at professionals and students who want to know more
about the relatinship between smolking and mentla health
and to support people they work with in giving up smoking,
should they wish to do so. Read more
SmokeFree
NHS support and
resource information for people who want to give up
smoking click here.
Publications
and Mental Health Resources....
Openmind
Openmind is the much-praised bi-monthly
magazine published by Mind.
Openmind magazine gives people who use mental health
services, and the people who provide them, an open space
to share ideas, inspire each other, complain, express
opinions, and even share the odd joke or two.
www.openmindmagazine.org.uk
BBC Headroom
New online mental health collaboration
between the BBC and Ruby Wax. Well woeth having
a browse through. The informaiton is well presented
and the site is easy to navigate. Click
here.
Managing
for Mental Health
A must for all employers
who want to ensure best practice in mental health promotion
at work. It includes sections on where to look
in a hurry, a complete guide to good practice and policies
on employment and mental health, as well as essential
background information on mental illness. £15.99
Thinking
About Mental Health and Employment, Bob Grove, Jenny
Seeker and Patience Seebohm
This book challenges
the assumptions that those with mental health problems
are incapable of working, bringing together the perspectives
of service users, advocates, professionals, researchers
and policy makers. For anyone with an interest
in this issue, including service users, those who work
in mental health services and policy makers and shapers.
£24.95
Some Things
You Should Know About User/Survivor Action: A MInd Resource
Pack, Peter Campbell
This pack explains
how and why the service user.survivor movement developed,
what activities have been fighting for and what acton
they have taken, as well as what the movement has achieved.
This pack is principally aimed at people who are not
part of the movement but whose work within the fringes
of mental health services brings them into contact with
it. £19.95
Reading for Wellbeing....
This month's recommendations
include:
Moving on
from Depression, Claire Rayner and Elizabeth Spring
This book is intended
for people experiencing depression and for friends and
relatives who want to find out how to help them.
Each chapter looks at a particular type of depression,
life events that act as triggers and strategies for
coping. A list of contacts at the back of the
book offers guidance on where to find help. The
information is based on the experiences of people who
have been through depression and found effective strategies
for moving on.
Feeling
Good: The New Mood Therapy, David D. Burns
Synopsis:
A drug free guide to helping anxiety, guilt, pessimism,
procrastination, low self esteem and other depressive
problems. This book uses scientific methods to improve
mood and stave off the blues.
The Food
and Mood Handbook (2nd edition), Elizabeth Somer
The Complete Guide
to Eating Well and Feeling Your Best.
How the nutrients
in food improve memory, energy levels, sleep patterns,
weight management and attitude.
Understanding
SAD
Seasonal affective
disorder (SAD) or "winter depression" may
affect as many as a third of us, but the problem often
goes undiagnosed. For a smaller number, the problem
can be seriously disabling. This booklet is for
anyone who wants to know how seasonal changes in light
levels affect behavior and what can be done about it.
For more information click here.
New....
About Self Harm
A new guide about
yong people and why they self harm and how to seek help.
Click here
Mind's Publications Catalogue
This page operates
as a place to provide and exchange information only.
With the exception of Mind services, Mind is not responsible
for any service, activity, publication, or similar,
posted on this page. Please note that contributions
may be edited.
Enquiries, comments
and contributions to enquiries@kcmind.org.uk
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