Health Practice
The Mendos Project provides short term 'community linking' support to individuals leaving prison, forensic psychiatric institutions or those identified at court as in need of mental health support. The project provides practical and emotional support, and referrals to existing resources as well as offering assistance with budgeting, healthy living, occupational and employment opportunities. It also provides liaison and advocacy work on behalf of its users.
Alcohol Peer Support Services (APSS) was establishded to help reduce the negative impact of alcohol consumption and anti social behaviour in communities while also helping in the fight to decrease the amount of alcohol related deaths in the North West of England with other service providers.
A huge part of our work is to support those already in recovery and alcohol free after an dependency/addiction to alcohol themselves or aiming down the recovery route by mentoring and providing caring and confidential services.
Birth Companions is a unique organisation set up in 1996 to provide much needed help and support to pregnant women and new mothers giving birth while in detention as well as those who have experienced, or are at risk of, being detained. This includes working with women in HMP Holloway and in the community. Birth Companions provides trained and experienced birth supporters to women who are vulnerable, isolated and may have no other support. Our overall aim is to improve the experience of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood for vulnerable women so that they are better able to care for their baby after birth.
The winning organisation in the 2011 Una Padel Award was Birth Companions.
The Key Changes project provides therapeutic music services for people whose lives are affected by severe and enduring mental health problems. The programme is produced by Islington Music Forum, a mental health music charity set up by service-users in 1998.
Beyond Prison provides a range of through-the-gate support for individuals with mental health needs who have been, or currently are, in prison. Beyond Prison provides support through intensive resettlement, community outreach and peer support.
Two experienced health visitors are based within the young offenders wing at HMP New Hall and offer advice, support and health interventions on a wide range of issues relating to physical, emotional and mental health as well as general wellbeing. All young women held here are offered a full assessment within seven days of admission which forms the basis for developing a personal health plan.
A partnership project run by Lincoln YMCA gym, Grantham Moves leisure centre, West, East + South-West Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust, local food co-ops, Lincolnshire probation service, Lincolnshire University, HM Prison, and LAT.
Offers an holistic approach to men’s sexual health, in cooperation with the outside community and health services. The initiative is important because men’s sexual health in prison is often misrepresented and under-resourced. The programme was established to provide a prisoner-driven service and promote safe sexual practice. It acted as a catalyst for the introduction of a condom policy within the prison.
Maple Access Practice is a GP surgery in Northampton which engages with chaotic drug users, many of whom have other issues, such as homelessness and sex work. Maple’s priority is harm minimisation. It endeavors to be as flexible and accessible as possible and offers drop-in sessions, counseling and art therapy, complementary as well as traditional medical treatments.
Hafal's Criminal Justice Link Service is aimed at anyone with a serious mental illness who has become involved (or is at risk of becoming involved) in the criminal justice system. By serious mental illness we mean schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other diagnoses which typically involve psychosis (losing touch with reality or experiencing delusions) or requiring high levels of care or which might require hospital treatment. Hafal is the principal organisation in Wales working with people recovering from severe mental illness.