Mersey Care launches ‘Your Wellbeing’ support to help patients, staff and the general public cope with coronavirus lockdown

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, one of the leading community and mental health trusts in the country, has launched a range of services that aim to help service users, staff and the general public cope with the strain of the coronavirus lockdown.

Experts expect increased demand for mental health services once the lockdown finishes and Mersey Care aim to combat that by launching ‘Your Wellbeing’, which provides a number of different self-help services for the general public, patients and service users,  frontline NHS workers and their families.

The ‘Your Wellbeing’ services include:

  • The Life Rooms – various online videos that help with general wellbeing, healthy cooking and exercise
  • Talk Liverpool – psychological therapies to adults in the city who are feeling depressed or anxious. They offer videos on how the service works and various self help guides
  • Zero Suicide Alliance - a Gateway Module to their suicide awareness training has been launched which is designed to act as a free condensed introduction to the skills required to help those struggling with suicidal thoughts
  • 24/7 urgent mental health support – provides a helpline 24/7 for anyone 16+ in need of urgent support, available 365 days per year
  • Psychological support line – provides a listening ear, available from 8.00am to 8.00pm for anyone 16+
  • Staff Support – a counselling service restricted to Mersey Care staff members who may be struggling with various mental health problems.

Donna Robinson, Chief Operating Officer for Mersey Care’s Local Division, said: “This is a comprehensive range of services we are offering for anyone who may be struggling with their mental health during these challenging times.

“As we start to think about mental health more for ‘Mental Health Awareness Week (18-24 May), it’s important everyone knows there are still services available even if we have been forced to suspend or close some of our services because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Working with our partners in Cheshire and Merseyside, we’ve developed a number of 24/7 options to help those who are struggling. They range from urgent mental health support, to talk therapy and home courses that anyone can follow from the Life Rooms.

“It’s vitally important the NHS works together to ensure we divert people away from stretched emergency resources and we believe our 24/7 mental health services provide excellent alternative treatment.”

Further information about Life Rooms online content: https://www.liferooms.org/online-learning/

 

Further information about Talk Liverpool: https://www.talkliverpool.nhs.uk/

 

ZSA Gateway Module training: https://www.zerosuicidealliance.com/training

 

Mersey Care 24/7 psychological and mental health support: https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/about-us/news/247-phone-and-psychological-support-services-launched-by-mersey-care/