'Your 5 steps towards good mental health and well-being' update

ERoSH is focusing on mental health in 2009 and to promote awareness of this vitally important subject, in collaboration with our members and partners, we are promoting a series of informative regional events to help support frontline housing professionals.

One of the oft quoted documents in this area is the 2006 study by Age Concern and Mental Health Foundation which identified five key areas that need to be tackled to encourage good mental health and well-being: Discrimination, Participation, Relationships, Physical health and Poverty.

Regional events
We know that the sector is accommodating and supporting growing numbers of people with poor mental health. Yet frontline staff may not always have the necessary knowledge or skills to help people with often complex requirements. So working with our regional networks and a number of committed ERoSH members, a number of events will bring national and local expertise together under one roof in different locations around the UK to allow frontline staff to learn more about mental health and find out where to go for practical advice and information

With a target of 10 events nationally, we have 6 locations confirmed so far in Kent, London, the North West, Northern Ireland, Wales and Waltham Forest. We hope to confirm other locations and firm dates as plans progress.

Website contributors
To help disseminate practical information and advice about mental health, we have commissioned a series of articles from independent and expert charities about different aspects of mental health. These will be published between September and November 2009. To coincide with September's eZine, we have contributions from:

• Digital Unite about ICT and mental health
• The Royal College of Psychiatrists about Depression in older adults
  
• Rethink about advocacy
  
• Foundations66 about late onset drinking in older people and
  
• CST dementia about a special therapy to help those with dementia.

Our monthly eZines will keep you up to date and keep an eye out on this website too.