Mental Health Project
Our mental health project was established in 2007. Our aims are to support staff and organisations in Camden to promote mental well-being and prevent mental ill-health, to raise awareness of mental health and challenge stigma and misunderstanding, and to improve the range and quality of services available locally to those affected by mental health issues. Our project team of Community Development Workers focus on three main areas of work:
We also produce a monthly e-bulletin, which is sent to a wide cross section of the community, to those with an interest in mental health.
If you’re interested in any aspect of our work on mental health issues, do contact us.
Training
The team offer support and training on mental health issues to promote the development of good practice in delivering mental health services. A wide-ranging mental health training programme has been developed with both local and national partners. To find out more about the Mental Health Training Programme, how to access courses and current charges, go to our mental health training page.
Networks
The team co-ordinate two Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Mental Health Networks – for the Somali and Bangladeshi communities. These networks support staff to raise awareness of mental health issues and unmet needs in their communities, and to ensure that local decision-making is informed by an understanding of these issues and needs. Find out more about these networks here - including information about our aims, terms of reference, and the dates of forthcoming meetings.
VAC also runs quarterly Mental Health Information & Networking Sessions. These sessions are open to the Camden-wide community, including community organisations, service providers and service users. The Sessions 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. Find out more about these sessions here.
Awareness-raising – events and campaigns
We work with a wide range of partners to produce resources and organise and support events to raise awareness of mental health issues in Camden. For more information, please contact Jocelyn Devlin on 020 7284 6563 or jdevlin@vac.org.uk.
E-bulletin
The mental health team at VAC produces a monthly e-bulletin, which is sent out at the end of each month to the mental health mailing list. If you would like to be added to the mental health mailing list to receive the e-bulletin and to receive other information relating to mental health, please email Jocelyn Devlin on jdevlin@vac.org.uk.
Contact
Sucaad Odowa-Nielsen
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