New service: Free Mental Health Education Programme for carers

Date: Wednesday, April 3rd 2013
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We’ve recently launched an education programme for mental health carers in Leicestershire and Rutland. The programme is free and confidential and aims to help carers look after their own health and wellbeing whilst understanding more about mental illness and the support services available both locally and nationally. In addition, the programme is a chance for carers to get together and share experiences and help one another. Overall, we hope the programme will help carers to feel more confident and empowered and able to make positive changes in their caring role.

The programme runs for 8 weeks, with each session lasting two and a half hours. We’re planning to run the programme in the daytime and evening, so as many carers as possible can attend. Sessions include understanding more about recovery and relapse and how to manage it, how to cope with challenging behaviour and crisis and the impact mental illness can have on carers and families.

Anyone who is supporting someone with a mental illness, or whose life is affected by it, is welcome to come along to the sessions, including partners, family members and friends.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year, with mental illness also having a huge impact on carers and families. We’re already supporting hundreds of mental health carers in Leicestershire, so you’re definitely not alone.

We’re currently running our first programme in Broughton Astley, on a Tuesday evening, and this will be followed very quickly by another one, somewhere else in Leicestershire. We’ll let you know more details very soon, as soon as we’ve confirmed the date, time and venue.

If you’re interested in coming along or you’d like to find out more, please call Nicky Daly on 07847 228737 or email [email protected]

Download our Mental Health Education Programme leaflet for more details