We need your help to create Mental Health Champions within 999 Club.
As you would have seen with our Breaking Barriers Campaign, we are working with local organisations to ensure there is greater mental health support for those who are homeless or facing homelessness, in south east London.
Recently, we have held positive meetings with key local partners:
- Lewisham Council
- Prevention, Inclusion and Public Health Commissioners
- South London and Maudsley NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust
- Commissioners from the local Integrated Care Board (ICB)
- The Director of Lewisham Care Model and Estates Modernisation
Yet as you can imagine to see these discussions turn into positive action will take time, and perseverance.
Therefore, it is imperative that in the meantime, we can work more confidently with the increasing complexity of clients with mental health issues.
To do this we need your help.
Empowering Our Staff with Mental Health Training
We are wanting to train key members of staff to ensure we are better equipped with improved knowledge and skills relating to mental health and homelessness. This training will include:
- Mental health self care and wellbeing
- Identifying personality disorders
- Managing challenging behaviours
- Psychologically Informed Environments
- Emotional Intelligence and Resilience
To achieve this, we need to raise £7,500 to pay for their training to support the mental and physical health of our clients.
If you are able to donate to our Breaking Barriers Appeal, and help us deliver these important programmes, you can do so here - Donate to the Breaking Barriers Appeal >>
The Intertwined Crisis: Mental Health and Homelessness in South East London
For those that are homeless in south east London, or who are risk of becoming homeless, mental health conditions are highly prevalent and over 60% of those we support are struggling with their mental health.
There is a very clear link between mental health issues and homelessness caused by any number of factors including:
- Adverse childhood experiences
- Family issues
- Addiction
- Drug dependence
- Homelessness
- Domestic violence
- Sexual abuse
- Unemployment
- Poverty
From Darkness to Hope
Charlie was one such person we have helped recently. Sadly, he was homeless and had been evicted on multiple occasions from several temporary housing units due to people simply not understanding his mental health conditions.
“There are times when you think why am I here? Who would notice if was dead? At night, it was the hardest, darkness in your head and all around you.”
We’ve been working with Charlie for about 4 months now. His journey away from his mental health issues and homelessness is complicated and we have needed to bring in multiple agencies to ensure the right short and long term support is provided.
Charlie’s story though is just one we could have chosen from the hundreds of people we see every month who are struggling with their mental health.
You can help change this by supporting our Breaking Barriers Appeal and help us create our Mental Health Champions who will deliver a new vital service to those who come to us at a real time of crisis.
From everyone at 999 Club, thank you so much for your ongoing support of our work.
