SAMH is the Scottish Association for Mental Health Sign Up Information

Dear Gerald

Last week we saw another General Election and 59 MPs elected to represent Scotland.

We’re calling on all of Scotland’s MPs to work with us to fix Universal Credit – which we know isn’t working for people with mental health problems.

Like Amy, we hope to see MPs making Universal Credit a priority.

Please help us by sharing our messages on social media and sending the message to politicians that Universal Credit has to change.

Thanks,

Chloe
Senior Campaigns Officer

Dear Gerald

Have you received social care to support your mental health?

If so, SAMH would like to hear about your experiences to help inform our response to a Scottish Parliament Inquiry on Social Care.

You can access our short survey here, and it should only take around five minutes to complete. 

By social care, we mean personal and practical support to help you live independently – for example through supported accommodation, or support in your own home from a social worker. This could be provided by your local authority or a third sector organisation; but does not include health care provided by the NHS.

We think it’s really important that the voices of people who have experienced mental health problems are represented in this inquiry, so please do take a moment to fill out the survey if this applies to you.

If you have any questions about the inquiry or about the survey, please let us know at publicaffairs@samh.org.uk 

Thank you,

Craig and the SAMH Public Affairs Team

Hi Gerald,

Welcome to the second edition of your new-look SAMH Scoop! Every month we'll be bringing you the latest news and ways to get involved with Scotland's mental health.

SAMH services resilient in the face of pandemic 

International Stress Awareness Week 2020 - new SAMH resource

At the end of June, over 24,000 adults were waiting for therapy 

That''s it for this month. We''ll be back with another edition in December. Until then, warmest wishes from us all. 

Anna and Emily from SAMH.

Dear Gerald

As you may be aware, we have launched new research into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on adults with mental health problems. The survey is open for responses and we need your help to make sure it reaches as many people as possible.

The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically affected the way we have all lived our lives. These changes include fundamental changes to the way mental health care and treatment has been delivered. These vital services were stretched even before the pandemic, with waiting times targets for both adults and young people regularly being missed. We believe there is an opportunity to rebuild services to meet increased need, so we want to find out how existing services have been affected.

As a SAMH supporter we are calling on you to consider taking part and sharing this research with your connections. You can find out more by visiting our research webpage.

We will be sharing key updates and reminders on our social media channels, so that you can stay in the loop and share information with your networks. You can find us on Twitter @SAMHtweets, at facebook.com/SAMHmentalhealth and on Instagram @samhscotland.

Participants must live in Scotland, be 16 or over and have been receiving or been referred for mental health support in the last 18 months. The survey will close on Tuesday 18 August.

Best wishes,

Anna and the team at SAMH

Dear Gerald

As you may be aware, SAMH is a major social care provider, with many key workers who are continuing to work as frontline staff in the community.

In recent weeks, the nature of these services has had to change in order to protect our staff, service users and volunteers. Around 130 SAMH staff are currently working on the front line, delivering vital face to face support for vulnerable adults across the country. These staff are working in extremely challenging circumstances and going to incredible lengths to ensure our service users remain supported, and we're all so grateful for everything they're doing at this difficult time.

You can find out more by reading our statement on the website.

A couple of weeks ago we contacted you to let you know about our new coronavirus information hub, which has lots of useful resources on looking after your mental wellbeing at this time.

We're regularly updating this section of the website, and have added new information recently, including advice on protecting your mental health while isolated, and a series of guest blogs.

Keep an eye on our social media channels to stay updated on the hub. You can follow us on Twitter @SAMHtweets, at facebook.com/SAMHmentalhealth and on Instagram @samhscotland.

As well as dealing with the immediate impact of coronavirus, it's also crucial that we look at and understand the long-term difference it could make to Scotland's mental wellbeing. That''s why we're delighted to be partnering with the University of Glasgow and the Samaritans on an important new study which will aim to understand the psychological impact of coronavirus on a representative sample of the UK public.

Ultimately, this insight will help us to ensure that we are able to provide people with the best and most appropriate support we can, now and in the future.

Find out more about this research.

Best wishes,

Chloe and the team at SAMH

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Dear Gerald

As one of our valued supporters, I'm in touch to ask you to tell us what you think of SAMH, our current work and future direction.

Every few years we conduct a strategic review with supporters and stakeholders to better understand what you think about SAMH and how we are doing. Your input will help us make great decisions about what we should prioritise, so we can do everything possible to support Scotland's mental health and wellbeing.

Please click here to take part in our 15 minute survey.

I know we have been in touch with you more than usual in the last month, however the pandemic has meant a number of pieces of work have arrived at the same time and now more than ever we want to hear your voices to help prioritise mental health locally and nationally. It means so much to us to have your continued involvement and please be assured we will return to normal from next month.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch by emailing communications@samh.org.uk.

Thank you for your continued support,

Billy Watson

Chief Executive, SAMH

Hi Gerald,

Welcome to your new-look SAMH Scoop! Every month we'll be bringing you the latest news and ways to get involved with Scotland's mental health.

One Step at a Time 

We're now counting down the days to World Mental Health Day on Saturday 10 October.

Our theme for this year is One Step at a Time. We know that good mental health is often a work in progress, and right now, we're all living in difficult times. It's never been more important that we not only protect our own mental health, but also support the mental wellbeing of the people we love.

So over the next week, we're asking you to take your next step for mental health. Maybe you'll find some information to help you make a positive change or support someone you love, or perhaps you'll choose to spread the word about mental health and wellbeing?

Whatever next step you choose, now is a great time to do something for Scotland's mental health.

Click here to get involved with One Step At A Time

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Britain Get Talking

Keep an eye on STV this week as their fantastic Britain Get Talking campaign gets underway once again. Depression doubled during lockdown, and anxiety and loneliness have greatly increased too. Talking can ease stress and reduce anxiety, but not everyone has someone to talk to or somewhere to turn to for help. That''s why this week, Britain Get Talking will be running an appeal to help SAMH and other mental health charities, so we can support everyone who needs us. The Britain Get Talking appeal will play out in special programming spots throughout the week, culminating in an epic and evocative moment in the final of Britain's Got Talent on World Mental Health Day. Visit itv.com/britaingettalking to find out more.

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Almost half of people using mental health services in Scotland missed out on care due to the pandemic.

That's the key finding from our recent research into the impact of coronavirus on people with mental health problems, where we asked over 700 people in Scotland about their experiences. It's vital that we understand how people are being affected by coronavirus, so we can ask Scottish Government to take urgent action. We can only do this kind of work with your support, both through charitable donations and by taking part in the research.

To everyone who made this project possible: thank you.

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That''s it for this month. We''ll be back with another edition in November. Until then, warmest wishes from us all. 

Emily from SAMH.