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Community Development Workers (CDW’s) for Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) Communities in Adult Mental Health Services

One in five mental health in-patients come from a black and minority ethnic background, compared to about one in ten of the population as a whole. BME communities are some times reluctant or unable to access mental health services due to their cultures, background and language barriers; often they delay seeking help until they reach crisis point. The Department of Health published a five-year action plan in 2005, Delivering Race Equality (DRE) in Mental Health Care. DRE aims to help mental health services provide care that fully meet the needs of BME patients and build stronger links with diverse communities.

Community Development Workers work with BME community members to raise awareness of mental health well being. To help break down the stigma and fear among service users, their carers and families. We will be engaging with community groups, providing various talks on mental health and well being as well as signposting people to the appropriate services.

We are also working closely with services to bridge the gaps between service providers and BME users. Raising awareness of equality and diversity among Adult Mental Health staff and finding effective ways to help the providers of Adult Mental Health Services, which in Portsmouth are a partnership with Portsmouth City Teaching Primary Care Trust and Portsmouth City Council Health Housing & Social Care Directorate, deliver their services to the wider BME community.

Meet the team:     
Roger Batterbury  - Team Manager   
Mabel Fan   - Senior CDW
Ebad Chowdhury - CDW    
Sadhia Amin  - CDW    
Shipa Ahmed Khan - CDW    
       
Contact:
Friendship Centre
Elm Grove
Southsea
PO5 1JT

Tel: - 023 9275 5485
Fax: - 023 9281 5483
Email: - cdw@portsmouthcc.gov.uk