Story by Celia Jackson-Chambers | Photo by Rae Panache
Tuesday 10th October 2017 was World Mental Health Day and SACMHA Health and Social Care celebrated the day with a fantastic conference looking at “The road to recovery” from mental ill health. The conference, which also celebrated Black History Month, heard from a range of professionals working in the field of mental illness in Sheffield as well as from individuals who had experienced mental illness and had themselves walked the road of treatment into recovery.
Those attending the conference explored a number of issues relating to the mental health of the African Caribbean community. Maizie Reid who is the author of the book “Teetering on the Edge” outlined the research into women’s mental health in Sheffield, including the historical perspectives and the emotional and psychological issues faced by the pioneering women immigrants who came to Sheffield as workers. Chair of SACMHA health and Social Care David Bussue put forward the community response to poor experiences of the black community in statutory services and made proposals for future positive developments.
A number of excellent speakers from Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust gave those attending a first rate picture of the services being delivered by the Trust to meet the needs of the BME communities in the city today.
The conference ended with some excellent poetry and a personal presentation of one man’s experience as a mental health service user.
SACHMA runs a regular lunch club on Wednesdays, the food is so good they are now piloting a take away option. Lunch club runs on Wednesdays from 12-3pm at 84 Andover Street.
