Education Mental Health Practitioners work with South Essex College
SOUTH Essex College has welcomed the opportunity to work with the Education Mental Health Practitioners, EHMPs, to support the mental health and well-being of students up to the age of 18 years old.
The joint initiative is part of the college’s mental health strategy for 2020 which will provide extra guidance and support to aid in positive mental well-being. The practitioners will support young people in a variety of ways through groupwork, workshops and guided self-help sessions.
EMHPs are part of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), a new government initiative that promotes good emotional well-being and mental health by helping children and their families through prevention, early intervention and education. MHSTs work across education and healthcare, with EMHPs based in colleges that are trained to deliver a range of evidence-based interventions for young people with mild to moderate mental health needs.
Jane Belcher, Head of Safeguarding at South Essex College, said: “Having the Mental Health Support Teams join us at the college is a huge boost to our ongoing work on young people’s mental health and well-being. The support and resources that the team will bring is invaluable and will complement the work already being done by the Safeguarding Team and across the college.
“The introduction of these services to our college show how much importance is being placed on mental health and well-being, ensuring that our young people have the support and guidance they need to thrive and achieve.”
Mark Tebbs, Director for Mental Health across Mid and South Essex Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us to collectively build strong partnerships between mental health services and colleges and to expand resources so that we can support our young people to achieve their full potential. Half of all cases of diagnosable mental illness begin by age 14 and three-quarters by the age of 25.
“Early intervention is crucial to prevent problems escalating further into adulthood. The Mental Health Support Team will be provided by North East London Foundation Trust for students of South Essex College and we look forward to developing this service together with young people and partners going forward.”
For more information on well-being support, please visit: https://www.southessex.ac.uk/well-being-support
