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TW: MENTIONS OF EATING DISORDERS, CPTSD,  SELF HARM, SUICIDAL IDEATION/ THOUGHTS, MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES

Stress is something that impacts everyone in different ways on a day-to-day basis. It is a big part of our mental health and wellbeing.

Caitlin Hoo, from Kings Norton, an expert by experience and one of our Think4Brum service users shared her top tips as a trained Peer Support Worker for coping with stress.

Nicki Twigg, Senior Mental Health Practitioner at Forward Thinking Birmingham (North), sat down with us to talk about neurodiversity and the importance of being open about it.  

As part of our ongoing review of FTB's facilities, and in response to feedback, we know that the Blakesley Centre doesn’t offer the right environment and facilities to effectively meet your healthcare needs. We base this view not only on the valuable input we have received from you, as our service users and carers, but it is also very clear from our recent CQC report.

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust (BWC) is set to invest £2.7 million from the Service Development Fund (SDF) into a range of different mental health schemes for children and young people (CYP).

As part of the development of mental health services in Birmingham, the Oaklands hub is going to be undergoing refurbishment.

As part of our ongoing review of FTB's facilities, and in response to feedback, we know that the Blakesley Centre doesn’t offer the right environment and facilities to effectively meet your healthcare needs. We base this view not only on the valuable input we have received from you, as our service users and carers, but it is also very clear from our recent CQC report.

Bob Maxfield, Participation & Engagement Lead and Ian Wood, Interim Engagement and Volunteering Manager for our Trust, have been shortlisted as finalists for the coveted Unsung Hero Awards for their outstanding commitment to supporting young people and transforming services.

As part of our ongoing review of FTB's facilities, and in response to feedback, we know that the Blakesley Centre doesn’t offer the right environment and facilities to effectively meet your healthcare needs. We base this view not only on the valuable input we have received from you, as our service users and carers, but it is also very clear from our recent CQC report.

“I suffered with restriction and compulsive exercise between 2018-2022, with my parents watching me in despair, deteriorating in physical and mental health day by day."

Independent inspectors have reported improvements within our specialist community health services and increased their rating following an inspection.

Young people, including past patients and their siblings, took centre stage in a transformative Big Discussion event for healthcare professionals, advocating for youth voice within our Trust. 

Today, we're spotlighting Zoe Fung, Think4Brim EDI lead, and their work with our Pride Table Talks, which discussed the challenges that face the LGBTQ+ community when accessing healthcare.

This World Mental Health Day 2023, we're celebrating the pioneering wellbeing passport project led by young people in our mental health patient participation group, Think4Brum.

Our award-winning Specialist Eating Disorder Service (SEDS) at Forward Thinking Birmingham, the city's 0-25s Mental Health Service, hosted a recovery party earlier this year for those affected by eating disorders in the community.

Nahida Rahman, one of our fantastic young volunteers, has been appointed Chair for Think4Brum, a youth participation group in our 0-25s Mental Health Services.

This month, we mark the ‘Eating Out Without the Calorie Count’ (#EWOCC) campaign's one-year anniversary, celebrating its success and the positive impact it has had on the community. 

Forward Thinking Birmingham is part of the Government’s new Mental Health Mission, a £42.7m investment into developing targeted new treatments for mental health conditions.

A partnership between Shaw Trust and Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB), the city’s mental health service for 0-25-year-olds, has successfully helped more than 260 young people into work; supporting their recoveries.

Zoe Fung is the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead for Think4Brum, a youth participation group in Forward Thinking Birmingham.

She spoke to us about why they joined the group and about their passion for promoting health equality in mental health services:

Gemma Badland, Trainee Nursing Associate (TNA) for the Learning Disability and the Disability Intensive Care Enhanced (DICE) team at our Trust, has been nominated for a prestigious Student Nursing Times Award.

In line with NHS England requirements, we are publishing our Birmingham and Solihull children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing local transformation plans for 2022/23.

Zaynab Sohawon, former Chair for Think4Brum, received a prestigious British Citizen Award (BCA) at the Palace of Westminster on Thursday 26 January, for her services to healthcare in the West Midlands. 

Charlotte Weir, Co-Chair for Think4Brum, has been part of the group since 2019. As a member of Think4Brum, she uses her experiences as a service user to create positive change in our Mental Health services. She reflected on her journey with Think4Brum:

The festive season is one of the busiest times of the year, and it can be daunting for those living with a mental health condition. It's okay to be nervous about the weeks ahead and there are many things you can do to look after your wellbeing during this time.

Teams from Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) 0-25s Mental Health Service are delivering workshops to improve the mental wellbeing of secondary school and primary school children in Birmingham.

Birmingham’s independent health watchdog has reported significant improvements in Forward Thinking Birmingham’s (FTB) 0-25s Mental Health Services.

Mental health experts are calling for restaurants and cafés in Birmingham to offer calorie-free menus to support young people recovering from eating disorders.

A mum whose daughter is being cared for in our Trust's inpatient Mental Health Services shares her family's journey living with eating disorders

Professor Rachel Upthegrove has been appointed the Mental Health Research and Development Lead for our Trust.

The SEDS team offer tips for eating out with calorie labelling,

Clinicians at Forward Thinking Birmingham are participating in a national research study which aims to predict early episodes of psychosis.

A bright and bold graffiti mural, to show support for young people with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, has been unveiled by the 0-25s mental health service Forward Thinking Birmingham.

Last month, our Trust marked Eating Disorder Awareness Week by putting our best foot forward in our annual "sock it to eating disorders" competition. 

A new and modernised mental health Urgent Care Centre in the city has been officially opened thanks to a partnership between our Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB), and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation.
 

This week, we sat down with Helen Randall, Head of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy for Forward Thinking Birmingham. Helen talked to us about BTPP, the psychotherapy training school in Birmingham and the different training opportunities it offers, including the steps you need to take to become a Child Psychotherapist.

Patients and colleagues have come together to mark the start of work on a £4.6 million expansion of the Trust’s Parkview Mental Health Clinic in Birmingham.

Teams at Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) has linked up with the RSPCA to deliver a bespoke animal welfare project.

We have fantastic opportunities for medical staff to work at both Forward-Thinking Birmingham (FTB) community services and our Tier 4 in-patient Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) services.

Individuals at Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB), our 0-25s metal health service, have teamed up with the RSPCA to deliver a bespoke animal welfare project. 

A first-of-its-kind Midlands-based Doctoral Training Programme (DTP) training future healthcare professionals working in mental health and neurosciences in now open for applicants.

Louna Walker, Co-Chair and Communications Lead for Think4Brum, talks about what it's like to be a part of our Mental Health Service's youth participation group.

Professors at the University of Birmingham and University College London have taken part in ground-breaking research in collaboration with teams at Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust (BWC) to improve patient outcomes in early psychosis. 

The pandemic has helped shine a light on inequality in mental health provision across the Midlands, but it has also highlighted paths forward according to professionals in the region.

Last year our Forward Thinking Birmingham mental health service proudly began working alongside a number of partners across our city including Birmingham Education Partnership and Birmingham City Council on our #YouveBeenMissed campaign.

Since then our dedicated website section has been visited more than 18,000 times. This collaborative service has supported pupils, parents, carers and education professionals to help children and young people when they’ve returned to school – something that’s been made more challenging for some due to the uncertainty in the world due to COVID-19.

A fantastic opportunity has arisen to work as a Peer Support worker/ Parent Peer Support Worker in our friendly and creative team in our Specialist Eating Disorder Service (SEDS) and Mental Health Community teams, Forward Thinking Birmingham. 

Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB), the city’s  unique mental health service, is celebrating five years of putting young people at the heart of developing their care.