New ‘choose well for mental health’ guide helps local young people find the right support
A new guide to help children and young people in Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield choose well for mental health has been launched by the local NHS.
The ‘choose well for mental health’ guide helps children and young people, under the age of 18, find the right service for their mental health and wellbeing needs. It supports them to look after their mental health and wellbeing, how to access the right services when needed, and lets people know what to do if they, or someone they know, experience a mental health crisis or emergency.
The new guide has been developed by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and co-designed by children, young people with lived experience, and specialist healthcare teams who work with them, carers and their families.
Parents, carers, families and friends can also use the guide to look out for children and young people close to them and help them get the right support and advice.
Information about support and services across Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield are covered in the ‘choose well for mental health’ guide. This includes, practical things children and young people can do to look after their own mental health, emotions and wellbeing, to how to access family help and support, and how to contact specialist mental health services.
Mark Brooks, chief executive of the Trust, said: “Choosing well for our mental health from a young age is really important.
“It can sometimes be hard for children and young people, and their parents, carers and families, to know what support is available. This new ‘choose well for mental health’ guide, created specifically for children and young people, pulls together trusted information into one place.
“By recognising what positive mental health and wellbeing means, people can identify if there are changes to how they are feeling or behaving and seek the right support. The earlier people notice any changes and get support, the more likely they are to experience positive mental health and wellbeing in the future.
“I would encourage anyone who looks after, or works with children and young people, to look at the guide so you know what to do in different situations.”
The launch of the ‘choose well for mental health’ guide for children and young people follows on from the success of a similar guide for adults launched by the Trust in 2020.
Mark adds: “We were really keen to engage with young people on creating something that would work well for them when it comes to choosing where to go for mental health and wellbeing support. Thank you to all the children, young people, and professionals who gave us their valuable feedback and helped to co-produce this guide.
“I really believe that the ‘choose well for mental health’ guide for children and young people, and the guide for adults, can help support our communities in accessing the right support when it is needed.”
You can download a copy of the ‘choose well for mental health’ guide for children and young people, and the guide for adults, from our website.
