Tyne & Wear Mental Health VI Forum

Wednesday 26 January 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Reserve your place

Join our Tyne & Wear Sight Loss Council Virtual VI forum on 26th January via Zoom. Put your questions about mental health to our panel of experts.

We are delighted to have a panel of mental health experts to discuss the support available in Tyne & Wear and across the wider North East.

The VI forum will also be an opportunity to hear about people’s experiences of the emotional impact of losing your sight, the anxieties and pressures, and find out what support is available to you from the NHS, local and national charities.

Our key speaker will be Amanda Hawkins, RNIB Strategic Lead for Counselling and Mental Health, Confident Living & Skills Development. Amanda is also Chair of the VI Charity Sector Mental Health Committee.

Other speakers include:

  • Amanda Hawkins who is RNIB Strategic Lead for Counselling and Mental Health, Confident Living & Skills Development. Amanda is also Chair of the VI Charity Sector Mental Health Committee and is a qualified counsellor/ psychotherapist.
  • Claire Campbell is a local counsellor for blind and partially sighted people who is herself registered blind. Claire says “I’ll be Exploring the emotional impact of sight loss, and the appropriate delivery of counselling for Visually Impaired people”
  • Iain Marley is Senior Commissioning Support Officer, Durham, Darlington, Teesside Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism Partnership.
  • Mike Brierley is Director Lead for Mental Health & Learning Disability at NHS County Durham. Mike & Iain will be covering the development of mental health services across the region.
  • Holly Fillingham is Project coordinator for North- East & North Cumbria Mental Health NHS Integrated Care System and PhD candidate in social prescribing. Holly will be introducing the Signpost North-East and North Cumbria website, which hosts mental health and wellbeing resources

 

Engagement manager Eamonn Dunne says:

“Only 17 per cent of people experiencing sight loss are offered emotional support with their deteriorating vision. More than four in 10 people attending low vision clinics are suffering from symptoms of clinical depression (RNIB).

This VI forum aims to explore the mental health impacts of sight loss and discuss the available services and what more needs to be done to ensure support is accessible to people living with sight loss.”

 

Book your place

When filling in our short registration form, you will be asked if you would like to submit a question in advance. Please note, a selection of questions will be used at the event.

Please book your place by midday on Wednesday 26th January.

Reserve your place

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