New resources rolled out to 3,000 mental health first aiders
More than 3,000 Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAiders) across south west London will benefit from additional mental health and wellbeing resources thanks to a partnership between South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust (SWLSTG) and Mental Health First Aid England.
By working together, the Trust and MHFA England hope to reach into communities across Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth, so that more people know how to access timely mental health and wellbeing support, when they need it.
From today MHFAiders are now equipped with:
- Local information about what to do if someone is experiencing a mental health crisis in south west London and where to get help. This includes an easy-to-use colour coded guide outlining where people can access urgent mental health and wellbeing services.
- Access to a new online directory called Know who to turn to in your community , which provides information about trusted local support and services in a single user-friendly platform.
- Know who to turn to campaign materials to share with their friends, families, neighbours and wider networks to raise awareness of NHS support available, as well as information and advice about local community support.
By sharing these tools and resources with more than 3,000 Mental Health First Aiders, the partnership aims to strengthen early intervention, improve community awareness and ensure more people get the support they need sooner.
Talking about the partnership, Ian Garlington, Director for Better Communities for South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust said: “Our Know who to turn to campaign is all about helping people feel confident in accessing the right care, at the right time, including support closer to home. Through our long-standing partnership with Mental Health First Aid England we are equipping thousands of south west Londoners with local and trusted information about mental health services. In doing so we hope to reduce barriers to care and builder stronger relationship between our Trust and the communities we serve.”
While Hannah Creech, Head of Customer Experience and Membership for MHFA England commented: "Mental Health First Aiders are often the first point of contact for someone who's struggling, and what they do in that moment is really important. By connecting our community of MHFAiders across south west London with clear, locally relevant resources, we're making it easier for them to signpost people to the right support quickly and confidently. This is how we help more people get the help they need, sooner."
