The theme for this year’s retreat is ‘Friend and neighbour you have taken away, my one companion is darkness.’ Bishop Richard Moth will be preparing sessions based around Psalm 87.
The retreat will be held at Boarbank Hall in Cumbria and will run from lunchtime on 2 July to lunchtime on 4 July 2019. For more information about how to book, please email [email protected].
Details:
Location: Boarbank Hall, Allithwaite, Grange over Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7NH
Dates: 2-4 July 2019
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come basis.
]]>The report explores the state of health and care in prisons and identifies violence, self-harm, overcrowding, staff shortages and the increasing availability and use of psychoactive substances in prisons as having a severe negative impact upon the health, mental health, care and safety of prisoners across England and Wales.
Bishop Richard Moth, Catholic Bishop for Prisons and Mental Health, commenting on the report has said:
“I welcome this timely report into the state of health and care in our prisons. I particularly welcome the recognition of the positive contribution chaplains make to the mental health and wellbeing of prisoners.
“While chaplaincy does not provide an alternative to professional mental health services, it does provide support to prisoners facing mental health concerns and can therefore reduce the risk of self-harm and suicide within prison. As such, chaplains often play a significant part in the mental health provision in prison.
“The report also states that there should be ‘sufficient resourcing of community mental health services so that people are not sent to prison because of a lack of appropriate community mental health care’. This aligns with a recommendation in our own recently published report, A Journey of Hope, for the Government to ‘provide sufficient funding for alternatives to custody for those with severe mental health conditions’.
“It is vital that the recommendations of this Inquiry are put into action to ensure that the deprivation of liberty in prisons does not mean the deprivation of the care to which all people are entitled.”
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]]>Over 800,000 people commit suicide every year, and with 25 times that number making a suicide attempt – it is clearly a topic which we need to talk about. Of course, this is easier said than done.
Many people who have lived through suicide attempts have said that, had they been asked how they were doing, they would have been ready to open up.
World Suicide Prevention Day is held on the 10th September every year, and this year the aim is to encourage conversation and discussion. Just letting someone know that you are there to listen with a non-judgemental ear could make a world of difference.
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak”
James 1:19
If someone has got to the stage that they are considering taking their own life, they probably don’t see any other way through their problems. Reinforcing that it ok it is to talk and to want to talk may turn out to be a much needed lifeline. Asking questions so that the person you are concerned about is in charge of the conversation, not pushing for information, and making sure you ask at an appropriate time and in an appropriate place are all things that can contribute towards a helpful and kind discussion.
This reflects the theme of last year’s World Suicide Prevention Day: “Take a minute, change a life”. Events such as this are working towards eradicating the stigma and building community. The International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is in November, bringing together people who have been affected by suicide whether they have lost someone close to them, or even if they have made a suicide attempt themselves.
“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”
Peter 3:8
More information and resource for World Suicide Prevention Day 2018 can be found here.
]]>14 August 2018
Catholic Mental Health Project Responds to Government Plan to Tackle Homelessness
The lead Bishop for the Catholic Mental Health Project, the Right Reverend Richard Moth said: “I welcome the plan unveiled by the government to dedicate £100 million towards tackling homelessness. I am especially pleased to see that £30 million of this will be dedicated to funding mental health help and treatment for substance misuse, problems from which many of those living on the streets suffer. While this plan is significant, we hope that further steps will be taken to ensure the sense of urgency that this challenge demands.”
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]]>A Residential Retreat for those involved in mental health pastoral care
Tuesday 20 November 2018, 12.30pm –Thursday 22 2018, 2pm
Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 5TQ
This Residential Retreat is to be led by Bishop Richard Moth, the lead Bishop for Mental Health, and is for those involved in Mental Health Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care. You are warmly invited to meet at Douai Abbey at 12.30 for lunch on 20 November 2018 and to be resident for two nights leaving after lunch on 22 November 2018. Retreat participants are welcome to join in the prayer life of the monks.
Douai Abbey is home to a community of monks of the English Benedictine Congregation situated in the Royal County of Berkshire. It is frequently said that Douai offers an environment and atmosphere of peace and serenity, where the cares of daily life can be left behind. For more details about the community and directions to the Abbey please visit www.douaiabbey.org.uk
Costs: There are only 20 places available and they will be allocated on a first come basis. The retreat will cost £71 (subsidised cost) which is to be paid to the Guestmaster during your Retreat. If you wish to pay by cheque please make it payable to Douai Abbey.
Who is this Retreat for?
This is for all those involved in mental health pastoral care: Including those from chaplaincy, religious orders, the Bishops’ Conference Mental Health Projects, service user and carer representatives and Catholic communities.
Book now!
To book a place on the Catholic Mental Health Project Retreat 2018, please download the form below and send your completed form to [email protected]
]]>It is a truism that mental health care does not receive the attention or resources devoted to care of physical health. This applies not only to clinical services and research but also to research and reflection on medical ethics and law. Healthcare ethics tends to focus on matters of life and death, especially at the beginning and end of life, and sometimes on the treatment of those whose cognitive capacity is diminished by illness or disability, but much less on mental health per se. The present conference seeks to redress this balance with discussion of a wide range of topics including:
• Resource allocation and mental health
• Ethical issues in forensic psychiatry
• Ethics of research in psychiatry
• Compulsory treatment of mental illness
• Mental illness and moral responsibility
• Assisted suicide for psychiatric reasons
• Mental health effects of sexual abuse
Speakers include: Professor David Baldwin, Professor Joost Baneke, Professor Patricia Casey, Dr Michael Dunn, Paul Farmer CBE (Chief Executive of Mind), Professor Jonathan Herring, Professor Sheila the Baroness Hollins, Professor David Albert Jones, Dr Mark Komrad, Professor Willem Lemmens, Professor Jim McManus, Bishop Richard Moth, Dr Rachael Pickering, Dr Julia Sinclair, Professor Ilina Singh, Dr Trevor Stammers, Dr Adrian Treloar and Professor Peter Tyler.
For more information and to book a place, click here.
The conference schedule can be found here.
]]>During last year’s Week of Prayer, Bishop David McGough summarised perfectly the purpose of this week:
“During this week we remember especially the often forgotten pain of those suffering with dementia, and those who care for them.”
Some of the symptoms experienced can involve a lack of inhibition and aggression. This combined with the progressive decline of one’s brain and memory means that it is not only distressing for the sufferer, but also for the family. To the family of someone with dementia, it can almost feel like their relative has become someone else. The person they know no longer exists and in their place, is someone who now requires much more care and patience. Catholics strongly believe that everyone should be treated with respect as an illness or disability has no effect on a person’s value as a human.
It is easy for us to realise that we should take inspiration from the way that Jesus looked after the sick, but something less likely to be at the forefront of our minds is to care for the carers. Not understanding how someone is feeling as a result of what they are going through is not to say that the trials they experience do not exist, and that they don’t need support.
Even to your old age and grey hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you
I have made you and I will carry you
I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Isiah 46:4)
These words from Isiah offer reassurance and can be read both by someone with dementia, as well as friends and family. It is a comforting reminder that God is always there in every stage of life, and no matter what you are going through.
]]>Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
During this period of new found independence it can be easy to isolate oneself and to feel lonely. For most embarking on this new stage of life, it is the first experience of living away from home. When students are suddenly being expected to manage money, look after themselves, and take on a degree there is little surprise that stress levels increase.
Feelings of anticipation and excitement are often interwoven with a certain level of anxiety, which sheds light on the surge in demand for counselling and mental health support seen by university student services in recent years. A still relatively new factor that students now must contend with is social media. Not only is there a pressure on your university days being “the best years of your life”, but there is the added pressure of keeping up appearances online –irrelevant of whether or not that is a true reflection!
It is however definitely worth looking at the higher demand for mental health support with optimism. Perhaps the stigma previously attached to mental health is disappearing. Perhaps people are ready to talk about mental health, recognise mental ill health, and ask for and accept help? Younger generations finding it easier to talk about mental health can only be a good thing.
University Mental Health Day is aimed at promoting not just the mental health of the students attending these institutions, but those who work there too. Improving the understanding among teachers and students about the role that a community can play in bettering mental health is vital to achieving a sense of belonging.
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. Romans 12:4-5
]]>Livability – the disability charity that connects people to their communities – have launched ‘Lifting the Lid’ today. For churches, it’s a free study resource to help explore the topics of emotional and mental wellbeing, using the Bible as a guide.
Lifting the lid is intended to help churches engage with the mental health challenges faced by those in their communities. It has been created with small groups in mind, drawing on well-known Bible stories to open up discussions on a key topic.
With 1 in 4 people experiencing a mental health problem in the UK each week, Livability sees churches as key to supporting and resourcing their communities effectively.
Whilst there are always challenges in funding and training for consistent provision, many churches are doing important and effective work in mental health. A report last year referenced the effectiveness of church mental health work amongst young people and also how Christian initiatives can reduce the burden on the NHS or social services, serving a public good.’ (Theos).
The aim with ‘Lifting the Lid’ is to help churches to create listening communities that are welcoming, understanding and offer ways to participate.
‘Even in the healthiest community, there can be a lot at stake in opening up about mental health. People can sometimes be wary of sharing their experiences, or feel that only those with visible difficulties are in need of support. Opening up positive discussions can be challenging, so time has been spent creating studies that navigate this carefully.’ Says Corin Pilling, Community Engagement Director at Livability.
In sharing Biblical examples of those who encounter ongoing struggles, the studies offer opportunities to share experiences and explore new perspectives. Comprised of 6 studies, each session offers concrete ways to support people in both church and the neighbourhood who might be experiencing mental- ill health.
Mat Ray believes the studies will increase the participants’ ability to engage with greater confidence in these topics. He states:
‘It can often be difficult to explore these topics in a way which feels safe, and the studies offer a positive way to do this. Many people have experienced marginalisation as a result of their ill-health and we want to change this. This season of lent offers a great opportunity for us to reflect, and face the challenges of life, as Jesus demonstrates. Our hope is that studies will open up discussions, and in hearing each other’s experience, we can learn to respond positively and find hope in the midst of these challenges.’
The guide is available from Livability’s web site at http://www.livability.org.uk/resources/lifting-the-lid. It is free to download, has six sessions and is designed to be run over six weeks, led by someone who has spent time becoming familiar with the material. Each session is designed to last 1.5 hours.
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