Mental Health Commission listening events a success
Published: Friday 20 May 2016
Over 120 people have taken part in a series of listening events as part of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Mental Health Commission.
Over 120 people have taken part in a series of listening events as part of the West Midlands Combined Authority's (WMCA) Mental Health Commission.
Representatives from a range of organisations as well as interested members of the public attended the events which were held in Birmingham, Coventry and Dudley. They discussed how public services can be transformed within current spending limits and how building stronger mental health can impact positively on the economy and communities in the West Midlands.
During the half day sessions 37 different issues were discussed, including how to develop the emotional resilience and well-being of young people and children, the role of employers in the work place, the impact of alcohol and substance misuse and how to improve links between services and the role of carers.
The commission, chaired by Norman Lamb MP, is currently collecting evidence from people who have mental health experiences, as well as talking to professional mental health practitioners and organisations.
Pete Bryant, from Shared Future, the community interest company who organised the events, said:
The open space listening events will help inform the Mental Health Commission's future work.
It's crucial that service users, members of the public and organisations engage with one another and the commission to see how we can best tackle the strain currently being placed on our public services.
If we can try and tackle poor mental health, we can help build a better life for people, as well as reduce our spending in the long run
To find out more about the commission and to get in touch visit the WMCA website here.