Help MindMate News #14
A bulletin bringing you news and up to date information about MindMate and young people’s mental health in Leeds
New LGBTQIA+ content on MindMate
MindMate have recently improved the resources and information on the website to better support members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This has included research of peer websites and engagement with young people, which will be ongoing. Access the content here
New MindMate colouring pages
New MindMate colouring sheets, with three designs linked to different sections of the website, are free to download here
Update from MindMate Ambassadors
- I’m Greta, a MindMate Ambassador, and I host the podcast since November 2023. I’m passionate about using research alongside personal experiences to create meaningful resources for mental health and well-being. In a recent episode “The Power of Now for a Happier Tomorrow,” with the help of Eli, we delved into how meditation practices can have transformative effects on daily life and well-being. I’m enthusiastic about creating an accessible resource that’s not just for tough times but for everyday use. Stick around, because we’re building something awesome together!
- I’m Kim, also a MindMate Ambassador. We visit schools and colleges to spread awareness about MindMate for students. No matter how “small” a problem may seem, we want young people to know they can seek advice and support on the website. We hand out MindMate merchandise as a reminder to students that there’s somewhere they can go for support. We make the stall interactive to get the students involved and thinking about wellbeing and looking after themselves and their peers.
If you are based in a high school or college and want to book a MindMate visit please email Liz Neill
All blogs and podcasts can be found here on the MindMate blog
Service update – Kooth
Kooth.com is a free, safe, and anonymous online mental health and wellbeing service for young people in Leeds between the ages of 10-18 years. Offering free one-to-one support hrough a text-based chat service, as well as peer support via a moderated forum.
Anxiety and stress top the list for presenting issues on Kooth in 2023. Register for a KoothTalks training session about strategies for anxiety If you can’t attend a live session, Kooth can send you a recording of the session.
Suicide bereavement training and guide for schools
Training: Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service are delivering a free webinar, focussing on supporting people bereaved by suicide. This session is for professionals working with families in Leeds. 27th March, 12:30 – 1:30 (create your own diary entry and copy this link in to join – Click here to join the meeting)
Find out about the LSBS service here
New for schools: A new guide is now available for schools in Leeds. The Response Following a Suspected Suicide: Guidance for Leeds Schools was developed by the Children and Young People Suicide Prevention Group in response to feedback that staff are unclear about where and how to access support, if they sadly experience a death by suspected suicide in their setting. It is rare for a child or young person to die by suicide, however if it does occur it has a profound impact on the school community. Download the guide here
School MindMate Ambassadors
The School MindMate Ambassador Programme is about encouraging, and empowering pupils to take a proactive role in improving social, emotional and mental health within their schools.
Training and a toolkit are available to develop this programme – more info here
Review of MindMate Single Point of Access
Leeds ICB are leading a collaborative review of the MindMate Single Point of Access. The aim is to refresh processes to reduce waiting times and improve the experience for people using the service.
‘If you are a professional who refers to MindMate SPA please spend 5 minutes completing this survey to contribute to the review – https://forms.office.com/e/4JkGxeLVKX
Trauma informed orientation session
Join us for an online Orientation Session where we’ll explore the ambition of Leeds becoming Trauma Informed for children & young people. Find out more
Keep in the loop!
We will be putting out termly updates with a live session (webinar style) and a MindMate News bulletin to complement this. Let us know if you want to be on the distribution list for these bulletins – contact mindmate@nhs.net
Next date is 12th June at 3.30pm. The online session is open to anyone working with school aged children and young people in Leeds. Use this link on the day to join the Teams meeting
For a full range of services for young people available go to Getting help – MindMate
