The Roma Support Group’s current Mental Health Advocacy Project aims to:
- Improve Roma community members’ access to mental health services
- Empower Roma community members to communicate more openly about mental health issues
- Improve mental health professionals’ knowledge of Roma culture and help them to communicate more effectively with Roma service users.
The mental health advocacy team provides one-to-one support to clients in understanding mental health issues, identifying appropriate mental health services and explaining health needs to professionals. We additionally run monthly peer support group meetings in which project beneficiaries can come together and discuss issues and coping strategies in an open and supportive environment. To further facilitate our clients’ understanding of mental health, we have created leaflets for service users that explain common mental health issues and outline strategies for seeking out support.
We also offer training sessions for health professionals, which are aimed at increasing awareness of Roma culture and providing effective communication and engagement techniques.
If you would like to refer a patient, are interested in a training session or would like to discuss this project further, please email simina@romasupportgroup.org.uk.
Watch a video about our work over the past 25 years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4gkB0rWOnY&t=4s
Our services are for members of Roma communities from Central and Eastern Europe. Please see this factsheet about Roma people: https://www.romaoralhistory.com/_files/ugd/6c5748_6501d2b8198d4f73bb0e9860cc6fbb2e.pdf
Please ensure you have checked if the service user is Roma before referring.
We are able to deliver our services in a number of languages including English, Polish, Romanian, some dialects of Romanes, and Hungarian. We may be able to deliver services in additional languages subject to the availability of staff and volunteers.