Student Guide to the Health and Wellbeing Service

SELF-HELP RESOURCES Self-help can be an invaluable first-step in overcoming difficulties relating to mental health and wellbeing. Different things work for different people, so it may take some trial-and-error to find which strategies work best for you. You don’t need to attend UCB’s Health & Wellbeing Service to access these, but the team can help support or answer any questions you may have. INFORMATION ON MENTAL HEALTH Mind: A mental health charity providing advice and support to those experiencing a mental health problem. The charity also campaigns to improve services, raise awareness, and promote understanding of mental health. www.mind.org.uk Rethink: A mental health charity that provides expert advice and information to everyone affected by mental illness, provides mental health services and support groups, and campaigns nationally and locally for policy change. www.rethink.org Young Minds: The UK’s leading charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. Young Minds has online resources, and runs a Parents’ Helpline, open to parents, carers, family members, and professionals, such as teachers and social workers: 0808 802 5544. www.youngminds.org.uk SELF-HELP COURSES Mood Gym: A free, interactive self-help programme that provides Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) techniques in order to prevent and cope with depression. https://moodgym.anu.edu.au Living Life to the Full: Offers free, online courses covering low mood, stress, and common problems linked to these difficulties. www.llttf.com Students Against Depression: Offers information and online resources validated by health professionals, alongside tips and advice from students who have experienced depression themselves. Workbook modules and self-help plans are available free via the website. http://studentsagainstdepression.org Reach Out: Online information and tools designed to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing, includes apps for Apple and Android. au.reachout.com Mood Juice: Self-help guides for people experiencing mild to moderate mental health problems. www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk SELF-HARM LifeSIGNS: A small, user-led charity providing information for everyone affected by self-injury/ self-harm. www.lifesigns.org.uk Harmless: A national voluntary organisation with online resources for people who self-harm. It also supports friends, families and professionals. www.harmless.org.uk SUICIDE CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably): Support for men who are down, struggling with their mental health, or in crisis via their helpline (0800 58 58 58), webchat, and website. www.thecalmzone.net PAPYRUS: The national UK charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. Papyrus operates a 24-hour help line for those at immediate risk through ‘Hope-Line UK’: 0800 068 41 41. www.papyrus-uk.org Samaritans: Provides confidential advice and support for a range of issues. Available 24 hours for people to talk as and when they like, completely off the record about anything that may be getting to them. Samaritans offers a Freephone number: 116 123 www.samaritans.org EXTERNAL SERVICES You may not wish to disclose your difficulties to UCB, and/or do not wish to receive support directly through UCB. As such, the Health & Wellbeing team has designed a ‘Local Wellbeing Service Guide’ to provide you with information on credible services and organisations who may be able to help. You can find a copy of this in the Student Services area of the Student Portal, or a hard copy can be viewed in Student Services reception. Organisations the team works closely with include: The MuslimWomen’s Network: The MWN is the voice for change amongst Muslim Women. Specialising in issues such as; Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), forced marriage and violence. MWN operates a national specialist faith and culturally sensitive hotline: 0800 9995786. www.mwnuk.co.uk Student Minds: Student Minds is the UK’s student mental health charity – providing students with the confidence, support, skills and knowledge to talk about their mental health and help their peers. www.studentminds.org.uk Kooth: Chat with a professional counsellor, read self-help articles, and join peer-to-peer forums. www.kooth.com Birmingham LGBT: Provides advice and support for members of the LGBT community in Birmingham. Tel: 0121 643 0821. http://blgbt.org Change, Grow, Live: A social care and health charity that supports and enables people to change their lives for the better and achieve positive and life-affirming goals. www.changegrowlive.org 10 11