National Ambulance LGBT+ Network
Mental Health
The National Ambulance LGBT+ aims to bring awareness, understanding and information on how to support your own mental health, and that of your colleagues, friends and families.
The roles that each of us undertake in our own services will vary and have different impacts on our mental health and wellbeing, therefore it is essential that we recognise and seek support to look after ourselves, each other and our patients.
Within this section you will find guest reflections from colleagues and guests on their mental health and wellbeing as well as tips and resources to help you get back to good mental health. It's all because you matter to us.
Mental Health Support
Feel free to download or print out our poster packed with useful mental health contact information. This has been updated to provide you with all the available organisations who will support ambulance staff at times of crisis, or even if you are worried about someone else.
You can also download a copy of the TASC Crisis Phoneline poster (bottom of page) and the AACE Mental Health Continuum poster, which is a sector specific diagnostic resource which also links to supporting services.
Simply Because #YouMatter
All the email addresses and web links shown below are hyperlinked so you access each organisation's information instantly.
The Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC)
The Ambulance Service Charity is for colleagues and families of colleagues who may be in need of advice or support.
- Crisis Phoneline (available 24-hours a day): 0300 373 0898
- Telephone: 0800 1032 999
- Email: support@theasc.org.uk
Click here to link with are page which looks at the services offered by The Ambulance Staff Charity.
Unmind
Unmind is a site that offers free access to NHS colleagues with a variety of Mindfulness, Meditation and Yoga sessions.
- Website: https://home.unmind.com/
- NHS Free Access: https://nhs.unmind.com/signup
Mental Health at Work / Our Frontline
- Website: www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/
- Additional Site: www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/ourfrontline/
Mind
The leading mental health charity available with online resources for support, personal advice and assistance.
- Telephone: 0300 123 3393
- Text: 86463
- Website: www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines
NHS Employers
This site contains a number of free apps and sites focusing on looking after our own mental health and well-being.
Samaritans
- Telephone: 116 123 (24 hours a day, free to call)
- Email: jo@samaritans.org
- Website: www.samaritans.org
Shout UK
Heads together provide SHOUT with differing helplines to meet a variety of mental health needs.
- Shout Text Response: 85258 (Text the word SHOUT)
- Website: www.headstogether.org.uk/get-support/
Never forget to ask each other, 'Are You OK?'
The Ambulance Staff Charity
The Ambulance Staff Charity, or TASC, is a national charity devoted to improving the lives of the people in the ambulance community. TASC offers a range of services including mental health support, recovery services and support with bereavement and financial troubles.
TASC is available to all ambulance staff, and importantly familiy members of ambulance staff who are often the first to know when something is wrong.
Click here to link with the TASC website which is packed with lots of useful information.
Crisis Support
TASC provides a 24-hour a day suicide prevention service for UK ambulance staff. The new service is made possible by funding from NHS England and has been commissioned and co-designed by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) on behalf of the ambulance sector.
Support for LGBT+ Staff
TASC is very supportive of the LGBT+ ambulance workforce and has been present at all the National Ambulance LGBT+ Network conferences. In recent years TASC has also seen an increasing number of LGBT+ staff asking for support and the network hopes to work closely with TASC in future to ensure we provide connected support.
Mental Health Foundation
The Mental Health Foundation produce an excellent series of self help guides that are easy to read and full of useful tips. They are free to download from their website.
Six titles worth having a look at are:
- Look after your mental health
- Manage and reduce stress
- Overcome fear and anxiety
- Sleep better
- Look after your mental health using mindfulness
- Look after your mental health using exercise
The link to the website is www.mentalhealth.org.uk.
A recipe for wellbeing
In August 2019 members of the National Ambulance LGBT+ Network created a Wellbeing Framework to create a common understanding of the terms wellbeing, resilience and mindfulness, along with considering the impact on LGBT+ people. In addition many members of the committee contributed a recipe to a book which looks at wellbeing in a new and inspiring way.
Download or print a copy by clicking here.