SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health)

Day

Tuesday 10 February

Time slot

15:00-16:15

Room

Moorfoot room
Wheelchair accessible

Contact

Lottie van Grieken

Topics

Health & social care Workforce & HR Equalities & human rights

Overall aim

• Improve understanding of mental health stigma and discrimination
• Encourage employers and employees in the third sector to reflect and challenge instances of stigma and discrimination
• Attendees' takeaway a personal and professional action

Description

Join us for a session focused on mental health stigma and discrimination, shining a light on how the third sector is an essential part of social and cultural change.

Tackling stigma is in our roots. Back in 1923, Dr Kate Fraser – our founder – challenged the way mental illness was perceived and treated, and it’s been a consistent thread running through our services ever since.

While progress has been made in breaking down stigma in recent years – with increasing numbers of people talking openly and honestly about their mental wellbeing – there’s still a long way to go. Mental illness has been sidelined and ignored, in the public discourse and, too often, by the mental health system. That’s why we’re determined to do more to fight stigma and discrimination, so that people with mental illness are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Through our campaigning work in this area, we are aiming to raise awareness, and to inspire action. We want people to join us in campaigning for an end to mental health stigma and discrimination.

Across our sector, we might disassociate from issues related to mental health stigma, and assume we’re getting it all right, but are we?

In the session we’ll look at examples of positive policy and campaigning work but also at areas where we (third sector organisations) need to get our house in order to resolve issues and challenges.

The session will offer an opportunity for both self and organisational reflection on how people with mental health problems are treated workplaces and in the sector more broadly, help to identify instances of stigma, and highlight opportunities for reducing this stigma. There will be an opportunity for discussion, engagement and reflection, with a takeaway for personal and professional action.

Who is the event aimed at?

Corporate services (comms/finance etc), Directors, Managers

Who is speaking at this event?

Chloe Livey - Campaigns Manager, SAMH
Lottie van Grieken - Senior Campaigns Officer, SAMH
Lived experience speaker - TBC