Mental health problems and homelessness can affect anyone, any day or time of the year but the 10th October brings a good opportunity to show your support.
We want to get Oxfordshire talking about the ever-growingly important subject of Mental Health & Homelessness. Research has shown that poor mental health can be both a cause and a consequence of homelessness (Crisis, 2019). After months of lockdown along with the many other stresses coronavirus brings, it is important now more than ever to look after your mental wellbeing.
The Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership and Homeless Oxfordshire have collaborated today with the support of Oxfordshire Homeless Movement in order to help the residents of Oxfordshire know where to get help and support if needed. Rather than using this one day as a way to promote two separate messages, we are joining together to show how clearly these two incredibly important topics also have a very distinctive link.
We’re reaching out to organisations across Oxfordshire including the Oxfordshire Homeless Movement to ask them to share this message on Saturday 10th October to show your support for both mental health and homelessness. We aim to get our message out as far as possible to show we are all here willing to listen and support whoever needs it.
Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership
The Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership wanted to give you a visual representation of what our services looked like and how we are here to support people throughout. Follow Jo through their recovery journey with the OMHP, as drawn by an individual who uses the Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership services.
We want to make everyone aware that anyone can access mental health services. The OMHP has been involved in setting up the new Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Helpline. This is a phone line anyone can call and get direct advice about where they can go for mental health support that would be most appropriate for them. Watch the video below to find out more information.
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Helpline numbers are as follows:
Adults: 0800 783 0119 or 01865 904 997
Children and young people: 0800 783 0121 or 01865 904 998
Homeless Oxfordshire
Homeless Oxfordshire wanted to showcase how you can get help is you are in danger of becoming homeless. The issue of homelessness can trigger many mental health challenges – whether you’re facing it yourself or it’s affecting someone that you know. Mental health plays a big part in homelessness and it can be interrelated with other issues, making it very difficult to get medical help, especially without a fixed address. Whether you’re homeless or not, safe spaces are important because they offer calmness and stability. This can help people to think more clearly and start to imagine positive outcomes for their future. Homeless Oxfordshire offers those space spaces as well as the support and advice a person might need if they’re facing homelessness and they’re also suffering with ill mental-health.
Oxfordshire Homeless Movement
Meet Sam as he talks to Oxfordshire Homeless Movement partner Aspire about why he became homeless, what he does to support his mental health and how moving into supported accommodation has made such a difference to his life.
Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership
The Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership (OMHP) is made up of 6 mental health service providers: Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Elmore Community Services, Response, Oxfordshire Mind, Connection Support and Restore.
The Partnership was awarded in October 2015 with an initial 5-year contract; however, this has now been extended a further two years to allow the Partnership to carry on with all the good work it is doing. The OMHP offers a wide range of interventions including inpatient hospital care, community mental health services and third sector services to get people back into employment, education, stable accommodation and relationships.
Our mission is to support recovery, hope and ambition. We do this by being compassionate, creative and collaborative. We wish to transform and innovate services to be more responsive to our service users and their carers’ needs.
Homeless Oxfordshire
Homeless Oxfordshire is the largest supported accommodation provider for homeless adults in the county. Each night we accommodate 200 people. But we are more than bricks and mortar. We were the first organisation to develop a Housing First project in Oxfordshire and through 11 innovative projects, we provide the person-centred support people need to recover from homelessness, for good.
When someone becomes homeless, their whole life spirals out of control. But we’re here to help them navigate through the chaos. From providing meals and accommodation, to running training courses and supporting people to manage a tenancy, we help individuals build the confidence, resilience and life skills needed to live independently.
Oxfordshire Homeless Movement
Oxfordshire Homeless Movement is a partnership of many organisations working to ensure that nobody has to sleep rough on the streets of Oxfordshire. In a recent survey, one-third of Oxfordshire residents said they were “very concerned” about homelessness in the city, but many people are not sure what to do about it. We guide volunteers, supporters and homeless people alike to the actions or services they’re looking for; educate people about homelessness; and facilitate collaborative projects between members.