​BAME and LGBTQIA+ University Staff Voices Needed: A new Mentally Healthy Universities Programme

Mind will soon be launching an exciting pilot programme to support mental health at universities – working across the university student body, the higher education workforce, and with universities as employers.

In the next two years they will have a variety of opportunities (paid and voluntary) to get involved in designing, developing and reviewing their programme content and to share your experiences

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Current opportunities
One of the goals of the pilot will be to reduce stigma and improve peer support for university staff. Building on the success of Time to Change, Mind will be testing how to tailor support specifically for staff mental health champions in a university workplace -- equipping them to deliver anti-stigma activity and peer support in this setting.

Throughout July and August the team at Mind is keen to engage directly with a diverse range of university staff to develop this support. This is an opportunity to play a key role in shaping an exciting new programme for universities.

Mind is keen to hear from LGBTQIA+ and BAME communities so please get in touch with the team if you would like to be involved.

Getting involved

• Become an expert reviewer. This will involve reviewing materials which are being developed for the programme to ensure they are engaging and practical for the next generation of staff mental health champions. Feedback can be provided via email or over the phone at a time of your convenience. Mind anticipates a time commitment of 2-3 hours and material will be sent over in mid-August.
• Share your story. Mind is looking for real stories to share as part of the programme. Stories are one of the most effective ways to break down stigma and help get the conversation around mental health started. These will be anonymised when used in their content if you wish.

Mind would like to hear from a diverse range of staff so please be in touch if you would like to share your experiences through different means.

How do I sign up?

• If you would like to express interest in being involved, please contact the Mind team
• If you have any questions, please contact the team at universities@mind.org.uk or on 02039615571.