Mind Jersey
Office 14, 4 Wharf Street, St Helier, Jersey, JE2 3NR
www.mindjersey.org/help@mindjersey.orgAbout
Mind Jersey is an independent local charity that provides support to people living with mental illness. Our vision is of a society that promotes and protects good mental health for all, and that treats people with experience of mental illness fairly, positively and with respect.
Although affiliated with Mind in the UK, Mind Jersey retains its independence, both financially and operationally. All money raised by Mind Jersey stays in Jersey for the benefit of Island residents. Our affiliation ensures that we meet Mind’s quality standards of governance and service delivery, follow best practice models of involving local people in their community – people who have had experience of mental illness – and provide good quality services. This can only be a good thing, demonstrating that we are a serious organisation that works professionally, has a stable management structure and well supported and appropriately trained and skilled staff.
How the charity has developed and grown
Mind Jersey was re-launched in June 2011 as the most recent stage in the evolution of the charity. Mind Jersey has a long and honourable history, having evolved from “Jersey Focus on Mental Healthâ€, which in turn formed in 2002 when the “Jersey Association of Mental Health†(formed in 1969) and “The Jersey Schizophrenia fellowship†(formed in 1977), merged.
All of these charities have collectively been providing services, campaigning and actively supporting people with mental health problems, their families and carers for more than forty years. They came together to unite their resources and strengths in order to provide a better, more responsive charity that has the health and well-being of it’s membership at heart. The creation of of Mind Jersey, and previously Jersey FOCUS on mental health has also allowed assets and resources to be combined, thereby avoiding duplication and maximising influence over local mental health policy development as well as allowing us to improve and develop our services.
Why the charity was formed
Anyone who has experienced any sort of mental health problem will be acutely aware of what a difficult and distressing experience it can be – stigma, rejection, family upheaval and the complexities of treatments can suddenly all become a part of everyday life. Similarly any parent or family member who has witnessed the onset of mental illness in a relative or loved one will know the helplessness and despair of trying to manage, using logic and rationale that is no longer meaningful or even understood by the sufferer. Also the difficulty for both users and carers of having to deal with a whole range of mental health professionals that have always existed for ’someone else’.
Very often, when these situations arise, the most immediate form of relief and reassurance can come simply from talking to someone who has, or is living through, a similar situation to you, someone who ’knows the ropes’, has learned to cope and is able to demonstrate that, with help and support, things can improve.
“…the most immediate form of relief and reassurance can come simply from talking to someone who has, or is living through, a similar situation to you…â€Categories: Charities.
