Mental Health Networks
We co-ordinate two Black and Minority (BME) Mental Health Networks aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of members of the local Somali and Bangladeshi communities.
Click here for more information about the Bangladeshi Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum including our aims, terms of reference, and dates of forthcoming meetings and events.
Click here for more information about the Somali Mental Health Network, including our aims, terms of reference, and dates of forthcoming meetings and events.
Both our mental health networks aim to:
- provide an opportunity for BME community groups to identify and raise awareness of unmet mental health needs within their communities
- support BME organisations to raise awareness of, and improve access to, appropriate mental health services for their communities.
- advocate on behalf of the target communities for the improvement of mental health services, including by raising awareness of relevant cultural and faith issues.
- create a platform for dialogue with local commissioners in order to influence the development and delivery of local mental health services for their communities.
- identify training and support needs within BME voluntary and community groups in the field of mental health and wellbeing, and action plan to meet those needs.
We also run quarterly Mental Health Information & Networking Sessions. These Sessions are open to the Camden-wide community, including community organisations, service providers and service users. They provide a place for people to meet others with an interest in mental health issues, and to have an opportunity to discuss these issues with one another.
Our team of Community Development Workers also undertake other work, including mental health training.
Visit our mental health project page for an overview of the team’s work
Visit our mental health training page for details of our current training programme
Mental Health Team Contacts:
Sucaad Odowa-Nielson
Community Development Worker (Somali Mental Health)
Tel: 020 7284 6571 (Typetalk: 18001-020 7284 6571)
Email: SOdowa-Nielsen@vac.org.uk
or
Ann Wolfe
Community Development Worker (Bangladeshi Mental Health)
Tel: 020 7284 6565 (Typetalk: 18001-020 7284 6565)
Email: awolfe@vac.org.uk
or
Jocelyn Devlin
Senior Community Development Worker (Mental Health)
Tel: 020 7284 6563 (Typetalk: 18001-020 7284 6563)
Email: jdevlin@vac.org.uk