Mental Health Solicitors

A mental health convention in Horsham, Surrey has enabled teenagers and young adults to discuss their own assumptions about mental health – and discover that they have much in common with their peers when it comes to mental health issues.

The Free Your Mind Convention was attended by 45 young people aged 12 to 23 and included workshops exploring topics such as self-harm, anxiety, body image, social media – and links between food, exercise and mood.

West Sussex County Council says that young people and practitioners came together for the Free Your Mind Convention to raise awareness of mental health – and provide a safe environment for young people to express their views on mental health services.

The event was organised by the Free Your Mind Group – a social action campaign created and run by young people from across West Sussex, supported by West Sussex County Council’s Young People’s Service and Horsham Matters.

The group was founded in 2013 and its young members are actively involved in improving mental health services for their peers.

The project has already expanded the mental health information available on the West Sussex Your Space website, influencing the redesign of Children’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Services.

It has also delivered conferences across West Sussex, from which the idea was developed for activity-based therapy, including a free outdoor counselling programme which uses a therapy dog to support young people who are experiencing social anxiety and which is now based in Chichester and Bognor.

West Sussex County Council Cabinet member for Children – Start of Life, Peter Evans, said:

“It is really uplifting to see young people being so passionate about a topic which, not so many years ago, would have been a taboo.

“Young people are faced with a lot of pressures which can manifest into mental health issues, so early help and frank discussions are key to preventing these from escalating.”

The Free Your Mind Convention is supported by representatives from West Sussex Youth Cabinet, West Sussex UK Youth Parliament, Horsham Young Person Empowered Representatives, Right Here Bognor and the Youth Emotional Support Team.

Free Your Mind member Hannah Haines, 17, said:

“The subject of mental health is now coming to the forefront and affects a lot of people today, so this convention gives people a chance to learn more about it and where they can go for support.”

Young people interested in finding out more about mental health issues can visit www.yourspacewestsussex.co.uk.

Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is the UK’s largest provider of Legal Aid mental health services and can advise mental health patients on a wide range of issues – including access to NHS mental health services and detention under the Mental Health Act.

Duncan Lewis mental health solicitors regularly visit NHS hospitals and police stations to advise on mental health law – and are available nationwide at short notice for hospital and police station appointments.

In some cases, Duncan Lewis mental health solicitors may be able to advise the nearest relative or carer of a mental health patient on a range of issues, including initiating treatment reviews where appropriate.

For expert legal advice on mental health law, call the Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors Helpline on 0333 772 0409.