Calderdale NHS CCG have put together this very comprehensive guide to the support you have available should you have mental health or other concerns.
Feeling concerned or overwhelmed by the news around coronavirus (COVID-19) is understandable, especially if you are struggling with your mental health or you have a physical illness. You could be feeling worried about your own health, someone in your family, or what impact the virus is having on your life.
Spending time in your home can make you feel isolated and lonely, and this affects our emotional health and wellbeing. It is normal to experience low mood, anxiety or stress but there are things that can help.
Please click through the links below for support, tips, information and guidance.
If you or someone you know needs support in a crisis:
Mental health helpline: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This confidential helpline offers support and guidance to people aged 16 years and above who are registered with a GP practice in Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield and Barnsley by calling free on 0800 183 0558.
South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust Crisis help for adults, older adults, children & young people, and people with a learning disability
www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/service-users-and-carers/in-crisis/
The Samaritans offer a listening ear if you need to talk to someone. You can ring them on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
Connect – plan and make regular phone calls, instant messages and text to friends, family, neighbours and colleagues. Do use digital solutions like Facebook and Twitter or video chat to keep in contact. Do plan with people what you will talk about next, for example TV programmes, films or an eBook. Do listen to music or podcast to help feel connected and less lonely. Do try activities that stimulate your mind like puzzles or free online courses by Alison https://alison.com/ FutureLearn www.futurelearn.com or OpenLearn https://www.open.edu/openlearn/ Do join an online peer support group, such as Elefriends run by Mind https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/support-community-elefriends/
Be active – Being active reduces stress, increases energy levels, can make us more alert and help us sleep better. Explore different ways of adding physical movement and activity to your day and find some that work best for you. Even at home, there will be lots of ways to exercise and keep your body moving.
Do get outside for a walk, run or cycle. Remember to keep your distance from others and wash your hands when you get home. Do exercise at home if you’re able. There are lots of free resources on the Active Calderdale website – https://active.calderdale.gov.uk – Do take regular breaks from work. Stand up from your desk and take a walk around the house every hour. Do regular stretches, either standing or seated. Do encourage your family, friends and neighbours to get active too. You could even get active at the same time over a video chat!
Do share how you’re getting active on social media! Use #ActiveCdale on Twitter and Instagram, and your photos and videos can be shared with others to inspire
them!
Look after yourself – Do maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes eating well, keeping hydrated and sleep helps with emotions. Do respond supportively and allow children to talk about their emotions and express themselves in games or in drawings. Do limit time you or your family spend watching or listening to media that you find upsetting. Do keep regular routines where possible, or help create new ones such as learning, play and relaxation. Do download free NHS approved mobile phone apps for mental health, sleep, lifestyle and other topics – https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library
Do visit Every Mind Matters for more information on coronavirus and mental wellbeing www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/ Don’t use gambling platforms, smoking, alcohol or other drugs to deal your emotions.
Don’t let embarrassment stop you from talking with others about what’s happened. Talking is an important way of dealing with the situation.
Get support – We are all individuals and there is no right or wrong way to cope or feel. For most of us, especially if we have never experience problems with anxiety or low mood before, these feelings will gradually disappear over time. However, some of us will need more help.
Emotional health and wellbeing support for adults
Age UK Calderdale and Kirklees: provides a number of different services for older people, including information, advice and befriending www.ageuk.org.uk/calderdaleandkirklees/
Andy’s Man Club: groups where men can meet, talk and share – “We are talking groups for men because…You’ve either been through a storm, currently going through a storm or have a storm brewing in your life.” https://andysmanclub.co.uk/
Brunswick Centre: provides counselling for people living with or affected by HIV, around issues such as living with HIV, relationship problems, sexuality, and
bereavement www.thebrunswickcentre.org.uk/services/counselling
Calderdale Mental Health Carer Support (Making Space): supports people caring for someone with mental ill health in their caring role and helps give them balance in their life https://makingspace.co.uk/services/centres/calderdale-mental-health-carer-support
The Employee Assistance Programme is a free 24 hour confidential helpline, to support all staff, working within the Health and Social Care sector; in paid and voluntary roles, across Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield; through any of life’s issues or problems. The service will offer support in a confidential, friendly non- judgmental manner, through experienced therapists or advisors. To contact the service ring 0800 028 0199
The service supports people who:
Are at risk of Stress, Anxiety and Low mood.
Have financial issues.
Experiencing relationship difficulties.
Require legal support.
Dedicated app for social care workers https://workforce.adultsocialcare.uk/
Healthy Minds is Calderdale’s local mental health charity – you can contact them on 01422 345154 or visit www.healthymindscalderdale.co.uk
IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies)
For when we feel like we can’t cope, feel anxious, low or have problems sleeping, going out of the house. Sometimes this can start to affect our everyday lives and prevent us from doing the things we normally do. There are two providers providing IAPT services in Calderdale, the options are:
South West Yorkshire NHS Foundation Trust, Calderdale IAPT – Your GP can refer you or you can self -refer by ringing the IAPT number 01484 343700 or visit www.askforiapt.co.uk
VitaMinds Calderdale. Providing free and confidential talking therapies- Self-refer online at www.vitahealthgroup.co.uk/vitaminds or call 0333 0153 494, Monday – Thursday 8.00am – 8.00pm, Fridays 8.00am – 5.00pm or email atiapt.calderdale@nhs.net
Mental Health Helplines
Mental health helpline: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This confidential helpline offers support and guidance to people aged 16 years and above who are
registered with a GP practice in Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield and Barnsley by calling free on 0800 183 0558.
MIND: providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem https://www.mind.org.uk/
NHS web site mental health and wellbeing advice: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/
Safespace is run by Healthy Minds and provides out of hours support for people in emotional distress. It is open every evening from 6pm to 10.30pm, with calls taken up to 10pm. Call 01422 345154, contact by Facebook (Safespace Calderdale) or email safespace@healthymindscalderdale.co.uk
The Samaritans offer a listening ear if you need to talk to someone. You can ring them on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
The Silver Line on 0800 4 70 80 90 is a free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people, open 24 hours every day of the
year.
South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust Crisis help for adults, older adults, children & young people, and people with a learning disability www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/service-users-and-carers/in-crisis/
WomenCentre Calderdale and Kirklees (women only): their wide-ranging services include emotional and practical support on issues such as debt, benefits, mental or
physical health, domestic violence, counselling, training and development and much more https://womencentre.org.uk/
Emotional health and wellbeing support for children and young people
Open Minds Calderdale for advice, information, support and signposting on local and national emotional health and wellbeing services. This web site is curated by
Calderdale young people to help children, young people and families who are going through a difficult time, and professionals working with them, including COVID-19. Visit http://www.openmindscalderdale.org.uk/
Mental health helpline: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This confidential helpline offers support and guidance to people aged 16 years and above who are registered with a GP practice in Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield and Barnsley by calling free on 0800 183 0558.
South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust Crisis help for adults, older adults, children & young people, and people with a learning disability
www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/service-users-and-carers/in-crisis/
Grief and loss
CRUSE Bereavement Care offers support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies. Its helpline 0808 808 1677 is open from 9.30am to 5pm Mondays to Friday, with extended opening hours till 8pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. You can also e-mail on
helpline@cruse.org.uk or visit their website at https://www.cruse.org.uk/
The National Bereavement Alliance is a group of organisations providing support to those who are bereaved. Information on support available can be found at its
website https://nationalbereavementalliance.org.uk/support/
The West Yorkshire and Harrogate Grief and Loss Service provides a free support and advice service to help people across West Yorkshire and Harrogate,
available 7 days a week, from 8am to 8pm, on http://griefandlosswyh.co.uk/ or 0808 196 3833. This is the first point of contact for anyone suffering any form of grief and loss, or those worried about losing someone, whether this relates to a family member, friend or member of their community. It is also available to those feeling
affected by the deaths of public figures and/or the volume of deaths across the country during COVID-19. A loss may not have been directly caused by the virus, for
example, someone may have been unable to visit a loved one during an illness or see them in their final days. People can self-refer to the service or will be signposted by other agencies.
West Yorkshire & Harrogate Suicide Bereavement Service (WYHSBS), providing practical and emotional support to people who have been affected by a suicide bereavement https://wyhsbs.org.uk/
Financial support and advice
Citizen’s Advice Bureau Calderdale: working in our local community for over 70 years providing advice and support to Calderdale residents on a wide range of
issues, including financial, debt and benefits advice https://calderdalecab.org.uk/
Step Change who provide the UK’s most comprehensive debt advice service. They help people with debt problems take back control of their finances and their lives
www.stepchange.org/
Get information and tips
There are lots of sources of information and tips around. Here are the links to some of them.
Calderdale Council: Coronavirus advice and updates www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/coronavirus/advice-and-updates
Carers UK: Coronavirus guidance www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19
Living Life to the Full: Covid-19 Outbreak: How to look after your wellbeing https://llttf.com/corona/
Mental Health Foundation: How to look after your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak https://mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus
NHS Apps Library has apps and online tools to help you manage your health and wellbeing www.nhs.uk/apps-library/
Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Network Mental Health and Wellbeing and COVID-19 resources www.yhphnetwork.co.uk/links-and-resources/
Get guidance
UK Government Guidance for the public on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus (COVID-19)
Every Mind Matters: Mental health and wellbeing while staying at home
Remember
Don’t struggle at home if you are on your own, elderly or vulnerable. For assistance contact the Calderdale Volunteer hub volunteeringcovid19@calderdale.gov.uk or Calderdale Council’s contact centre 01422 288001
