About our Mental Health Connectors Network

The Mental Health Connectors Network (MHC) is a free to join information and networking group with regular webinars and events. The Network is free to join for all those who have taken part in our mental health training and mindfulness courses.  Please contact us if you’ve registered to join the network but haven’t undertaken any training with us, so we can help you become a MHC.

The network has been introduced to enable individuals to benefit from the opportunity to receive information about Norfolk and Waveney Mind events, regular newsletters and access to a network of peers, other Mental Health Connectors and Mental Health First Aiders. 

What is a Mental Health Connector?

Being a Mental Health Connector isn’t an accredited role, and doesn’t intend to make its member’s feel they need to provide mental health support in any formal capacity. A Mental Health Connector should not replace any, more formal support that a person may need.

We aim to support you to:

• ​feel more confident to “Connect” with people who may need a listening ear
• help people feel more hopeful about their situation
• raise awareness around mental health and challenge stigma
• feel more resilient to help people, in your work or personal lives, know where to go for support

What to expect from the Network

Many of Norfolk and Waveney Mind’s services operate working to a research based framework called CHIME (Leamy et al 2011).

CHIME stands for:

• Connected
• Hopeful (and Optimistic)
• Identity
• Meaning
• Empowerment

 
Being part of the Network will help understand more about CHIME and we plan to base our activities throughout this year, on the model.

This first stage, is us Connecting with you, and introducing you to the network; what it’s for (and isn’t), what to expect, what’s planned, and how you can get involved

Plans for April, May, June 2022

In April, look out for our training team’s presentation on the Stress Bucket ( Brabban and Turkington 2002 ) as part of Stress Awareness month

In May – resources to support conversations around difficult conversations about death and dying.  Hospice UK hold a ‘Dying Matters’ week from 9th May, so we plan to mark that with tools and tips from our Complex Bereavement Service.

It’s also Mental Health Awareness week, from 13th May, so there’ll be lots of useful information on our usual Social Media feeds, website and in the general public domain

In June – activities and resources to promote National Smile month, whilst bringing us to the ‘H’ of CHIME - Hopefulness

For further information, please email training@norfolkandwaveneymind.org.uk

Join our Mental Health Connectors Network 

Be kept up to date with news of forthcoming courses, networking opportunities, specialist workshops and free events. 

To join, please complete and submit the form below.