Rethink Mental Illness Manchester Group

It's time again for some more campaign plotting... we're planning to hold a Christmas Party on Wednesday 9th December to bring together as many different carers, service users and their representatives to discuss what we'd like the future of mental health to be in Manchester. More details coming soon... If you'd like to come to this Wednesday's meeting, it's 6-8pm at Manchester Carers Centre, Beswick Row (nr Victoria Station).

We actually finalised our campaign aims at our meeting last month, but preparing to speak at a conference tomorrow about RMCIA has reminded me that I've not written about them yet. After much discussion, debate (and dare I say arguing!), here are our main campaign aims... 1 Challenging stigma and discrimination - did you know that 1 in 8 people would not want to live next door to someone who has a mental health problem? 2 Developing best practice with professionals. There's lots that we want to do under this category, such as encouraging use of the recovery model, and tackling unwelcoming atmospheres in some wards. 3 Information is power! Being diagnosed with a severe mental illness - or having a loved one diagnosed - is such a disorientating time. Some basic information - what questions to ask, what sort of care you should expect, and where you can talk to other people in the same situation - can be a lifeline. We want to get information out there. So, that it's for now. W