Rethink Carers Service Our service is for anyone who has concerns about a Bristol resident’s mental or emotional well-being and is supporting them. Often this is a family member such as a partner, wife, husband, son, daughter, or friend, who may or may not live with them.Family and friends play a massive role in helping people recover from severe mental illness, and whether or not you think of yourself as a ‘carer’, we can offer different kinds of support to meet each individual situation. This may be a phone conversation, attending an educational course or joining a support group. We believe you should be acknowledged, valued and supported – we can help you find out about your rights, encourage you to take care of your own mental health and connect with others in a similar position. We are flexible and we know that circumstances can change from one day to the next.Rethink Mental Illness is a national organisation which works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life and locally we are funded by Bristol City Council – so our services are free. We offer various things, as everyone’s situation is different, including: Individual support The first step is usually to speak on the phone so we can understand your individual situation. After that, we can offer regular follow up appointments, or you can just make one when you feel you need one. Support groups We co-facilitate support groups for family and friends of people with mental health issues as well as more specialised carers groups for siblings, Borderline Personality Disorder and secure services. Learn and Share Our online workshops are an opportunity to prepare yourself with information, guidance and connect with each other. Topics we have covered in 2020 include creating boundaries, communicating with someone experiencing symptoms, motivation, and how to support recovery. We develop the content ourselves, in collaboration with local mental health professionals. Regular info We can send you our newsletter and info about mental health in and beyond Bristol by email or post. Ask us to add you to our list, and unsubscribe when you want.Taking a break You may be able to ignore your own needs in a crisis, but in order to help someone recover from mental illness, you need to stay healthy yourself. Simply lowering your stress levels can be a key. If you have an idea of something that will make a difference to you, like a gym membership or a short break away, ask us about a ‘carers assessment’. Mental Health Advice Rethink Mental Illness Advice Service has factsheets on topics like the Mental Health Act, community care, welfare benefits, criminal justice and carers rights. You can also email or phone them to ask for specific advice: 0300 5000 927. Visit our local page www.rethink.org/bristolcarers We're sorry but <%= htmlWebpackPlugin.options.title %> doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. Please enable it to continue.
