Mental Health Awareness Week – Monday 11 to Sunday 17 May
Mental Health Awareness week is acknowledged in May and this year the theme focuses on “Action”.
Set by the Mental Health Foundation, this theme explores the practical steps we can take to improve our mental health, aiming for “Action for yourself, action for others and action for all”.
In support of this week’s “Action”, we want to remind members about the help you can receive from our charity.
Our “Action” to support you
We delivered approximately 5,000 ‘Before you go home – Are you OK’ postcards through officer and staff lockers.
You may have noticed one sticking out of your locker or perhaps you were handed one at a recent Well- Being event
held across the Force.
The postcards feature the Oscar Kilo – checklist created by the National Police Wellbeing Service as well as details about the Benevolent Fund and its benefits.
We hope the cards provide a gentle reminder that we’re here to support the physical and emotional wellbeing of our members by:
- Providing access to grants and interest free loans in times of hardship or distress or if an unexpected life event is negatively impacting your life and subsequently your mental health
- Counselling sessions from a professional team of psychotherapists at St Michael’s Lodge – members can receive up to eight online sessions. They are trained in many areas of counselling, including: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Person Centred Therapy, Bereavement Counselling.
We operate a self-referral system that means there’s no need to go through your line-manager at work. Your application will be made directly through us, ensuring your self-referral remains totally anonymous. The team of dedicated counsellors will be in touch to discuss the best course of treatment or therapy. Once you are assessed, you will receive the psychotherapist most appropriate.
PLEASE NOTE: You MUST be a member for at least 6 months in order to apply.
What our members thought
“The Benevolent Fund was there for me when I couldn’t get help from anywhere else. The online counselling support I received helped me so much through a particularly difficult time, thank you” Serving WMP officer.
- We offer a five-day residential wellbeing break; this is tailored to meet the individual needs of members.
The programme includes meditation classes, holistic treatments and classes run by a Fitness Trainer at St Michael’s Lodge, including Stretch, Pilates and Aqua. Additional holistic treatments include Mindfullness, Massage, Ai Chi, and alternative therapies
- Our sickness voucher scheme – Don’t forget if you’re currently off sick due to illness or injury or have just returned back to work after a period of absence you can claim for sickness vouchers. You must be off for 21 consecutive days and be a member for at least 6 months before applying.
- If financial worries and mounting debt is affecting your mental health you may find it helpful to speak to our partners, PayPlan. You can speak to them for free – each one of their advisers have been trained to spot the signs of mental health problems and support mental health wellbeing. They are also experienced in providing practical solutions to problems with debt.
Call them on 0800 072 1206. They’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.
Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/westmidlandspbfc to speak to them via live chat or for more information.
For more tips from the Mental Health Foundation, click here.
For more information or help, you can visit websites such as Anxiety UK, Mind, CALM and Samaritans who each provide support to anyone experiencing mental health problems.
Please don’t suffer alone, take “Action” today!
