Coronavirus: local mental health service information
March 25, 2020 at 7:03 pm
BIMHN is the Bristol branch of the Independent Mental Health Network.
The Independent Mental Health Network is building a guide covering local mental health support. It includes information about how mental health services are changing how they work in response to the measures being taken to tackle the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). There is also additional signposting advice.
New information is being added daily, as it becomes available.
Click below to access the guide’s webpages.
Do you have information about a local service, organisation, charity, or helpline that isn’t on the webpages? Get in touch and we will update the guide. Email us at engagement[@]imhn.org (removing the square brackets from the email address).
March 25, 2020 at 7:03 pm | News | No comment
BIMHN members gathering views on mental health apps to help improve local crisis care
February 24, 2020 at 4:00 pm
Members of the Bristol Independent Mental Health Network are currently working on a project to improve support and care pathways for those experiencing a mental health crisis in Bristol.
In order to investigate how the support that is being offered can be improved, we have launched a survey asking about peoples’ experiences and views about mobile apps that aim to support and improve mental health and wellbeing. Mobile phone apps can be used by people experiencing a mental health crisis. Sometimes, apps can be shared or suggested by mental health professionals to people experiencing an emotional or mental health crisis.
The survey can be found by clicking the following link: surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MentalHealthApps.
We are encouraging people with all kinds of lived experience of mental health, including people that support those with mental health difficulties, to take part in the survey.
If you have any comments or suggestions about this project, or would like to hear more about how you can get further involved, please email bimhn[at]imhn.org (removing the square brackets from the email address).
February 24, 2020 at 4:00 pm | News | No comment
Bristol Time to Change Champions Fund re-opened for Time to Talk Day 2020!
February 6, 2020 at 9:00 am
To celebrate Time to Talk Day 2020, the Bristol Time to Change Hub has re-opened the Time to Change Champions Fund for a final round of funding. The Fund is available to Time to Change Champions to support them in delivering an event or project that challenges mental health stigma where they live.
The Fund has already completed numerous successful funding rounds, and supported activities such as drop-ins, awareness events, discussion workshops exploring the myths surrounding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, health festivals, and more.
The Bristol Time to Change Hub is excited to support further applications to the Champions Fund. There is a limited amount of funding available, and applications will be considered on an as-received basis. For more information about the Champions Fund, frequently asked questions, and an application form, click here.
The Champions Fund supported ‘Lifting the Myth of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder,’ an open discussion workshop that explored the harmful myths and stereotypes surrounding OCD.
February 6, 2020 at 9:00 am | News, Time to Change | No comment
Time to Talk Day 2020 in Bristol
January 30, 2020 at 6:10 pm
Time To Talk Day is an annual national event, lead by Time to Change. Time to Change is a national campaign against mental health stigma, and Time to Talk Day is all about making time to talk about mental health.
Mental health problems affect one in four of us, yet people are still afraid to talk about it – talking about mental health problems and sharing real life stories helps to change the way we all think and act about mental health problems.
This year, Time to Talk Day takes place on Thursday 6th February.
In Bristol, there’s a lot going on! Check out this guide, compiled by the Bristol Time to Change Hub, detailing what’s happening. From pub quizzes to coffee mornings, bowling competitions to poetry nights, there’s bound to be something going on near you.
If you’re posting to social media, we’ll be using two hashtags; #TimeToTalk and #TTCBristol.
Has Time to Talk Day inspired you to get more involved in campaigning against mental health stigma? Maybe you’ve had an idea for an event or activity that you would like to run? Watch out for a special announcement coming on Time to Talk day, which will explain how we can help you make that idea a reality.
Some Time to Talk events are organised by the Bristol Time to Change Hub. The Bristol Hub are a group of organisations who have come together to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination in the city of Bristol.
These organisations are the Bristol Independent Mental Health Network (a branch of the Independent Mental Health Network, a membership-lead organisation for those with lived experience of mental health), Rethink (Bristol), Wellbeans Initiative, Community Access Support Service (CASS) Bristol, and Bristol City Council. Find out more about the Hub here.
January 30, 2020 at 6:10 pm | News, Time to Change | No comment
Suicide Prevention Summit – January 2020
December 21, 2019 at 12:07 pm
Please note: this item was originally published in December 2019. Thank you to everyone that attended the Summit. To keep up to date with work in this area, and outcomes from the Summit, click here.
[Content note; this news post deals with the topic of suicide]
BIMHN are supporting an event taking place this coming January 2020, bringing people, professionals, and those with lived experience of mental health together to agree a clear call-to-action on working together to prevent suicide across the local area of Bristol, as well as South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
The Suicide Prevention Summit takes place on Monday 13 January 2020 at Bristol City Hall. The event will consider the latest research into suicide prevention, work happening nationally, and will focus on initiatives and stories by people in the local area. We will also be inviting attendees to share their experiences and ideas about suicide prevention, exploring the role that communities should be playing in this work going forwards.
The summit will be lead and facilitated with those with lived experience of mental health, mental health professionals, and those with personal experience of suicide and bereavement by suicide. Because of the range of individuals and organisations expected to attend, spaces are limited. Please click here to book an individual free place.
The Summit is the final keynote event of Shine On, our Suicide Prevention campaign.
Please note: the BIMHN committee have decided to defer January’s BIMHN Monthly Members Meeting so that members can attend the summit. As a result, the scheduled meeting between 12:30 – 15:00 at St James Priory, Bristol City Centre, will not take place.
December 21, 2019 at 12:07 pm | News | No comment
Christmas Mental Health Services Guide 2019
December 20, 2019 at 6:44 pm
Please note: this item was posted ahead of the Christmas 2019 period. The information contained in the guide mentioned below is therefore outdated.
BIMHN are pleased to share the news that this year’s Christmas Mental Health and Wellbeing Services guide has been published. This guide outlines the services providing wellbeing and mental health support available to people in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire period over the Christmas 2019 and New Year 2020 period.
The guide has been produced with input from BIMHN members, in collaboration with members of Clarity-North Somerset Independent Mental Health Network. This year’s guide follows on from the success of last year’s guide in helping people and communities navigate what is available at this time of this year.
Included is information about services operating over the seasonal period, making note of any changes to opening or operating times, and contact details. It brings together information about mental health support from both NHS and voluntary & community sector partners that can be accessed. Also included are details of national crisis and helplines.
You can view or download a copy of the guide on the Independent Mental Health Network’s website, here.
December 20, 2019 at 6:44 pm | News | No comment
Suicide Prevention Innovation Fund – Second Round of Funding
December 6, 2019 at 5:29 pm
BIMHN is proud to be supporting Shine On, a campaign all about working together to prevent suicide. Back in September, ahead of the launch of the campaign, the Suicide Prevention Innovation Fund was launched.
The Fund provides funding to support local organisations deliver their own initiative to reduce suicide in their local area. Many of the initiatives funded were included in the Shine On event programme.
We are delighted to share that the fund has re-opened for a second round. For more information and details on how to apply, click here.
You can also read more about some of the funded activities and events that have already taken place on the Shine On website here.
December 6, 2019 at 5:29 pm | News, Opportunities | No comment
Bristol OCD Peer Support Group – November Meeting Update
November 28, 2019 at 5:15 pm
Following on from the open discussion event in July 2019 exploring Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (‘OCD’) run by Independent Mental Health Network trustee and member Tracy, there have been meetings discussing the formation of a peer-support group for those with lived experience of OCD living in Bristol.
November’s meeting has been postponed – please keep an eye out for a future update confirming the date, time and location of the rescheduled meeting.
November 28, 2019 at 5:15 pm | News | No comment
Do you have lived experience of mental health crisis services?
November 6, 2019 at 5:59 pm
Thank you to everyone that got in touch to express an interest in the below opportunity. Updates around our work with local mental health crisis care pathways will continue to be shared on our website.
Do you have lived experience of mental health crisis or attempting to access mental health crisis services? BIMHN are looking for up to six lived experience representatives to join a crisis pathway redesign event. The aim of the day is to progress the development of a new blueprint for BNSSG crisis services. We want to come to together as system partners to co-produce the crisis services of the future.
The event will take place:
Date: Friday 15 November 2019
Times: 09:30am -16:30pm
Location: Holiday Inn, Bond Street, Bristol, BS1 3LE (next to the Bristol Bear Pit roundabout).
The opportunity will be paid. For more information and details on how to express your interest, please click here, or click here to read the Independent Mental Health Network’s news release.
November 6, 2019 at 5:59 pm | News, Opportunities | No comment
BIMHN Member Attends Shared Learning Day on Suicide Prevention
October 18, 2019 at 12:22 pm
The Bristol Independent Mental Health Network (BIMHN) is actively involved with suicide prevention work taking place locally. Two of our members sit on the local Suicide Prevention Transformation Fund Working Group, which oversees the use of a portion of money given by NHS England to address the relatively high suicide rate in the local area. This group oversees initiatives such as the Hope Project, which aims to help men at risk of self-harm or suicide.
Additionally, BIMHN is supporting a wide-ranging campaign taking place later this year that will raise awareness and educate on suicide and self-harm. Watch this space for more details, to be announced soon!
Recently, Francesco, one of our members, attended the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health (NCISH)’s recent learning day in London. These learning days are known as ‘Learning Sets’.
These sessions are an opportunity for healthcare organisations to provide updates on various suicide prevention initiatives taking place up and down the country, with an emphasis on shared learning, with the ultimate goal of reducing the number of lives lost to suicide nationally.
You can read Francesco’s report of the session here.
October 18, 2019 at 12:22 pm | News | No comment