All change!
Friday 23 February 2024 - 13:24
Change Mental Health has over 50 years of experience in tackling mental health. Starting as the National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland), it began with an article in The Times from a journalist John Pringle, who outlined the challenges he faced caring for someone with schizophrenia.
Over the years, we’ve evolved into severe and enduring mental illness and at present we support over 7,000 people yearly. We commenced a new chapter in late-2022, rebranding from Support in Mind Scotland to Change Mental Health. Throughout the entire time, our mission has remained the same: to help and support people affected by mental illness.
Change Mental Health is a chance to meet our ambitions of supporting more people in different parts of the country – to support people to access our services and play a larger role in advocating and providing a platform for people affected by mental illness. Our mission is broader: providing transformational support for people ensuring that everyone has access to the support they need, when they need it and in a way which works best for them. We seek to change society by changing attitudes, fighting stigma and influencing government for a better quality of life for those affected by mental illness.
Rebranding to Change Mental Health meant a fresh, dynamic name that represented what we want to be and what we want to achieve. We want to show action and see changes in mental health support and provision for everyone. It pays homage to our past identities and represents the different types of support we can offer and the tapestry of different people we work with.
The reality is that one in three of us can face poor mental health. This is why we believe it is everyone’s business to tackle mental health and why the National Rural Mental Health Forum (NRMHF) features in The Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
We set up the Forum – a strong, dedicated network of over 260 membership organisations from third, private and public sectors – to enable people across rural Scotland to be open about their mental health. With an estimated outreach to over 500,000 people in rural Scotland, the Forum drives change and creates a solid evidence base for what works to improve people’s lives.
The Forum prioritises raising awareness, reducing stigma, and building resilience in rural Scotland. It is further delivering a programme to influence policy makers to channel resources in ways that bring positive change through a network of rural organisations across Scotland using research and knowledge exchange. The Forum delivers free, regular seminars in partnership with organisations within the network to highlight key topics and issues related to the mental health and wellbeing of people in rural Scotland.
Seminars exemplify a broad range of topics, and the upcoming ones are no exception. In late February, we’ll hear from Robert Gordon University about gender-based violence in remote, rural and island communities, and the only occupational charity for those who work in horticulture, Perennial will talk about the challenges people are facing within this sector.
At the NRMHF on March 27th at 11am, we’ll hear from See Me, who are working together across sectors to end mental health stigma and discrimination, and Money Advice Scotland about the challenging rural communities are facing around money worries and mental health. Please register here https://bit.ly/NRMHF-March2024
On April 24th at 11am, University of Glasgow’s College of Arts and Humanities will explore cross-sector partnerships that can support good mental health and wellbeing while engaging in arts, culture and leisure. The Forum doesn’t just take learning from Scotland; it looks to explore how communities in other countries are facing challenges with mental health in rural areas. Rural Support based in Northern Ireland will use this seminar to talk about their ‘Plough On’ project, which aims to tackle rural isolation and increase social opportunities for older male farmers across Northern Ireland. Please join us by registering here https://bit.ly/NRMHF-Aprl2024
Get in touch with Change Mental Health to join the National Rural Mental Health Forum and make it your business to tackle mental health.
The NRMHF has received yearly dual funding of £50,000 per annum since 2017 totaling £350,000, from Scottish Government Rural Communities and Mental Health policy.
Related content
-
This event aims to:
- To share learning emerging from the range of community based supports for mental health for children and young people and adults (in particular via the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults, the local authority Community Supports for Children and Young People and wider community interventions supported by national partners), providing an opportunity to showcase the impact of projects and delivery approaches and share best practice.
- To celebrate and raise the profile of preventative, community interventions and emphasise the importance of these as part of a whole system approach to supporting mental health and wellbeing
- To demonstrate how these local community projects are directly supporting a range of policy priorities, such as the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Creating Hope Together, Child Poverty, etc.
- To support collaboration, networking and learning through active involvement of a range of local and national partners.
-
A discussion between Scottish and Arctic experts on access to mental health support.
About this Event
Scotland and the Arctic share similar challenges with ensuring that, no matter how rural or remote, communities receive high-quality support in relation to mental health and wellbeing. In rural areas, a combination of stigma, lack of anonymity and isolation can act as a barrier to accessing the right services, calling for urgent action and innovative solutions.
Tragically, suicide rates in the Arctic region are among the highest in the world and young people are particularly at risk. In Scotland, deaths by suicide have fallen over the past decade but much remains to be done. Both in Scotland and in the Arctic, there is increasing recognition of the need for early prevention strategies that look at mental health challenges from a community perspective, offering local solutions and reflecting local circumstances. As well as improving access to clinical health services, encouraging local initiatives can have a critical role in improving mental wellbeing and developing “communities of care”.
This session will promote a discussion between Scottish and Arctic experts on how we can work together to tackle visible and invisible barriers to accessing mental health support, allowing people of all ages to receive the right help at the right time, no matter where they live.
This event is part of the Scottish Government’s Arctic Connections webinar series. Please find more information here.
Moderator
Sarah-Anne Munoz – Head of Rural Health and Wellbeing, University of the Highlands and Islands
Speakers
Clare Haughey – Minister for Mental Health, Scottish Government
Jim Hume – Convener, National Rural Mental Health Forum (Scotland)
Ros Halley – Community Development Manager, Support in Mind Scotland
Jon Petter Stoor – Researcher, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Sweden & Centre for Sámi Health Research, Arctic University of Norway
Ceporah Mearns – Director, Nunavut Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research
Nancy Mike – Community Health Research Coordinator, Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre
-
The Scottish Government has announced further funding of £25,000 to support the National Rural Mental Health Forum.
