The Cyprus-based Community Health Team (CHT) of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity blazed a trail by holding its Parental Mental Health Week sessions tailored to service mums and dads based overseas.
CHT organised a string of events for that, which led well into Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 (May 15-21), the theme of which was “anxiety”. CHT laid on a full raft of events from Cyprus to Sennelager, from Gibraltar to Brussels, and from Brunei to BFBS Radio.
Activities ranged from a wellbeing walk in the hills above Akrotiri, assemblies at St John’s School in Episkopi and King Richard School in Dhekelia by SSAFA CAMHS and School Nurses, as well as talking at a mental health and wellbeing fair in Sennelager.
All also took part in “Wear it Green Day” to raise awareness of mental health issues, although for some military personnel, finding something in a fetching shade of green is part and parcel of their daily attire…
Colin Guyton, the Head Teacher at St John’s, thanked CHT staff who attended, saying:
“Many thanks to Cressy and Siobhan for your continued support of our school and the young people we serve.
“This ongoing, valued support was well illustrated with the stall and student attendance today for this week’s Mental Awareness campaign, resulting in excellent student engagement – and at such an important time of the year with exams underway.”
Tammy Tibbatts, SSAFA CAMHS Nurse said:
“It was a good opportunity for the team to engage with the community in an informal way, raising the SSAFA profile and enabling the community to put faces to names in an informal setting. We were able to help someone register with the SSAFA Community Health Team and spoke to people about how they were currently feeling and give them some tips on how to cope with this.”
A CHT spokesperson added that within the next few weeks, the Department of Community Mental Health will host an online briefing with the whole SSAFA Community Health team across all commands to further promote joined working.
For more information about the services and support SSAFA’s Community Health Team provides to military families overseas, contact ssafa.org.uk/get-help/ssafa-community-health-overseas or the SSAFA Community Health Facebook page for information on your local (closed) Facebook group.
