Its Our Mental Health

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Its Our Mental Health

• Beat the Blues
• Tuesday Group

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Tuesday Group

• Based in Lewisham
• Started 2000
• Promotes positive mental health
• Meets every 2 weeks
• What we do
• Rights, assertiveness, staying well, diet and
  exercise, speaking up, mental health services

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Beat the Blues

•  A group of men women with learning
  disabilities who live in Greenwich
•  Currently has 15 members
•  Support given around problems with mental
  health coping
•  Physical heath promotion
•  Group is held weekly

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Beat the Blues

•  Community nurses help to facilitate the group
• Provides opportunity to talk about share
  thoughts on issues such as medication, activities
  and managing stress
•  Different topics covered each week chosen by
  group

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Mental Health Problems

• People with learning disabilities can have mental
  health problems, like anyone else.
•  We can become sad and depressed
•  We might become worried, anxious or nervous
•  We might hear things that aren't there
•  We might have strange thoughts
•  If we do, we need the right help just like other
  people

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Mental Health Problems

• We want to use the same services as other people
•  
• We dont need to change
• Services need to change

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Bill of Rights

• We have the right to be treated with respect
•  We have the same rights as any other person
•  We should have the same opportunities as any
  other person
•  We have the right to make our own decisions
•  We have the right to use the same mental health
  services as other people

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Bill of Rights

• We have the right to an advocate if we want one
•  We have the right to be included in all
  discussions about our mental health
•  We have the right to a wide range of treatments,
  not just medication
•  We have the right to see what is written about
  us

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What staff should be good at

• How to help people be healthy
•  Understand peoples needs
•  Teach people ways to be calm
•  What tablets people take and why
•  To be aware of side effects of medication
•  How to give support with problems like
  depression
•  What other services can help people with their

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What staff should know

• About Valuing People
•  About peoples rights
•  About giving people choices
•  About being independent
•  About being included
•  What is good for mental health?

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What staff should know

• How to tell if someone has a mental health
  problem
•  That you ask questions to us and not the parent
  or staff.
•  They should understand that we have our own
  thoughts and feelings.
•  About medication and talking therapies
•  That you have to ask us to give consent for
  treatment

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What staff should know

• How to calm people down
•  That you should only use restraint as a last
  resort
•  People with learning disabilities grieve like
  other people
•  People with learning disabilities can have
  relationships
•  About physical health and health action plans
•