Elmore marks World Mental Health Day and World Homeless Day
The county's biggest mental health conversation is happening with people being encouraged to ‘Get Oxfordshire Talking’ to mark World Mental Health Day and World Homeless Day.
Mental ill health and homelessness can affect anyone at any time, but with the two international days taking place on 10th October, there is an opportunity for friends, families, communities and workplaces, to talk, support, and save lives.
The link between mental health and homelessness is well-understood. Mental ill health can increase the risk of people becoming homeless and being homeless can negatively impact on people’s mental health.
To launch this conversation, three Oxfordshire non-profit partnerships - Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership, Oxfordshire Homeless Movement and the Oxfordshire Homelessness Alliance - are working together. Elmore is a founding member of the Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership and the Oxfordshire Homelessness Alliance and works alongside the Oxfordshire Homeless Movement.
People across Oxfordshire are being asked to show their support for mental health and homelessness by talking to one another, being open to listening and supporting whoever needs it. Get Oxfordshire Talking about mental health encourages supportive communities and signposts help when it is needed.
Local businesses are being invited and encouraged to create ‘Talking Points’ across Oxfordshire. Downloadable toolkits with printable table-top cards are available for businesses and public spaces to host their very own Talking Point and join hundreds of organisations inviting the community and customers to speak about mental health.
Tom Hayes, Chief Executive of Elmore Community Services, said: “One of the simplest ways to help someone to get help is to be a listening ear or to ask how someone is. On 10th October 10 we are encouraging the small conversations that can lead to big changes.”
Rob Bale, Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director for Oxfordshire at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “With the support of local people, cafes and other businesses we hope to see Talking Points pop-up across the county to get Oxfordshire talking. Mental health and homelessness have always been important and intertwined subjects, and through this activity we hope people better understand the two, and how they can look out for one another and seek support when it is needed.”
Get Oxfordshire Talking by speaking to someone at a Talking Point or creating your own Talking Point by downloading the toolkit below.
About Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership
The OMHP is made up of six mental health service providers: Elmore Community Services, Connection Support, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxfordshire Mind, Response, and Restore.
The award-winning partnership offers a wide range of interventions to get people in Oxfordshire back into employment, education, stable accommodation, and support them to build relationships. The focus is on improving access and integrating service provision, to help people living with mental health issues to achieve positive outcomes. The mission is to support recovery, hope, and ambition. Achieved by being compassionate, creative, and collaborative. OMHP wishes to transform services to be more responsive to the needs of service users and their carers.
About Oxfordshire Homelessness Alliance
Oxfordshire Homelessness Alliance is made up of Elmore Community Services, A2 Dominion, Aspire, Connection Support, Homeless Oxfordshire, and St Mungo's.
was created to embark on a ground-breaking programme of work, preventing and resolving homelessness so that no one sleeps rough in Oxfordshire.
Members come together to improve service delivery and client outcomes for homeless adults and adults at risk of homelessness in Oxfordshire. Founding Alliance partners include:
About Oxfordshire Homeless Movement
Oxfordshire Homeless Movement is a partnership of organisations working to help those experiencing homelessness in Oxfordshire and to ensure that nobody has to sleep rough on our streets. OHM guides volunteers, supporters and people experiencing homelessness to the actions or services they’re looking for.
Project work focuses on filling the critical gaps in services that others can’t, and always working in partnership means there’s always the best team for the job, which includes those with lived experience of homelessness. Being guided by people who have personally experienced homelessness through the Lived Experience Advisory Forum means the work remains relevant and needed.