Healthy Minds, an independent charity in Calderdale, runs an expanding series of fortnightly mental health support groups throughout the district for people who are experiencing/ or would like to share their experiences of mental health.
The support groups are an opportunity for people to get involved with creative activities in an accessible and relaxed environment while looking to develop tools and strategies for coping with difficulties they may currently be experiencing or have faced in the past.
There are currently four groups, each with a central theme: hearing voices, bi-polar, depression, and postnatal depression.
The fortnightly groups are led by a project worker who supports attendees to lead the activities and agenda as they wish, allowing them to explore their creativity and reflect on their experience of recovery at their own pace.
By attending, we hope to increase peoples’ choices for recovery, reduce isolation and strengthen social networks as well as increase peoples’ resilience to difficulties as they reflect on how they can utilise creativity and coping strategies that have been explored during the groups.
This project also offers the opportunity for people who have experienced mental health difficulties to get involved and volunteer to support the running of the groups. Training and ongoing supervision are provided to those who would like to do this, building their confidence and skills for the future.