Whatever your level of need – whether you are experiencing loneliness, depression, stress or have severe and enduring mental health issues – we’re here to listen and support you.
Poor mental health can be triggered by many factors that range from relationships and family situations to sexuality or job issues.
Being out of work, not having friends or family around you or if children have been removed from your home can often lead to loneliness. And we know from experience that women with multiple and complex needs who are experiencing loneliness may resort to alcohol and/or substance misuse, self-harm, crime or even suicide – so our support can be vital for you.
We also recognise that there is a direct link between mental health issues and a woman’s experience of trauma during her childhood or adult years and we help many women with complex mental health needs here at Anawim. Neglect, along with abuse and harmful relationships can also lead to women experiencing vivid flashbacks, panic attacks or other mental health difficulties.
Anawim is a safe haven for me, a place I can be myself and shut off and relax. Meeting up with new friends and making new friends. I can just go there when I’m not alright. Tracy*
Through our work with women in the criminal justice system, we also get referrals from organisations to help people suffering from mental health issues including: Personality Disorder, Bi-Polar Disorder, Schizophrenia, severe anxiety and depression. In many cases we work with the police to divert women away from the criminal justice system and over to Anawim instead to access specialised help for individual needs.
If you have mental health needs, we have a range of support available including therapeutic courses that are detailed below.
How can we help
There are many ways that we can support you with your mental health, from offering courses and first-hand support, through to practical or holistic help from our understanding team.
We can accompany you to meetings with your local Community Mental Health Team, advocate on your behalf at GP appointments and provide emotional one to one support.
Therapeutic courses are also available through Anawim and include REDD (Regulating Emotions and Dealing with Distress) and TREM (Trauma, Recovery and Empowerment Model). Find out more here.
Our teams go above and beyond to make sure you feel at ease and we can run home visits for those who are afraid of leaving their home due to their mental health.
At our centre, we give women an opportunity to socialise in a relaxed and safe environment, where they can share their experiences, make new friends and enjoy activities like pamper days, craft activities and wellbeing classes. Group courses at Anawim and our onsite Donations Hub offer women the chance to make new friendships whilst developing work experience at the centre.
We also have Enrichment Workers in the CAMEO unit at HMP Foston Hall, who provide specialised therapeutic workshops for women with personality disorders, understanding how mental health contributes to offending behaviour, and supporting them with their challenges in prison. This is just one part of the Women’s Justice Services that we provide and you can find out more here.
We can also support you if you’re struggling with:
- Postnatal depression, loss of children, bereavement or grief
- Low mental health connected with chronic pains or other physical illnesses
- Self-harm and suicidal feelings
- Addiction, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, dependency and recovery
- Understanding nutrition and food, personal hygiene and sexual health
Please contact us for advice and guidance – we never judge and we always listen.
Blended Service at Ardenleigh Forensic Unit
Our Blended Service at Ardenleigh Forensic Unit offers gender specific and sensitive treatment through enrichment activities, peer support and one to one casework, for women from the West Midlands who are detained under the Mental Health Act and have a history of actual or potential harm to other people.
Funded by NHS England and working in partnership with Ardenleigh Secure Women’s Service, we offer support to the women within Ardenleigh from admission to discharge. We aim to reduce the length of the patient’s stay in hospital and introduce rehabilitative support, enabling women to reintegrate back into the community.
As well as ensuring that the service is trauma-responsive, we offer peer mentoring opportunities, facilitate group sessions, focusing on future goals, interests, encouraging the women to engage and stay motivated. Enrichment sessions/ activities are also facilitated out-of-hours to reduce incidents and self-harm.
7 signs that you are suffering with stress
- You feel irritable and restless
- Find it hard to concentrate or cope with everyday tasks
- Feel anxious, nervous or afraid
- You’re unable to enjoy yourself
- Feel tired all the time
- Don’t want to talk to or be with people
- You want to cry all the time
If you are feeling several of these signs, why not get in touch with us to talk things through and consider what support is available to you. Find out more here.