A new Mental Health and Wellbeing service has launched at Forth Valley College.
Led by Mental Health Co-ordinator Martin Murray FVC’s new team, which has been funded by the Scottish Government for a full year, has been designed to support any student who has been, or is, affected by mental ill health. This can be done either face-to-face or online as the team are flexible in their approach.
This team also comprises of three Mental Health Mentors: Angela Denholm, Kristina Mullan and Nicola Woloszyn, and will be supported by Team Administrator Kasia Slapek.
The team will be able to help with:
- Setting SMART objectives, goals and strategies to help ease the pressures of College life
- Developing better habits to make life easier
- Managing anxiety
- Providing strategies to help relax and unwind
- Developing a personal toolkit of strategies for when things get tough
- Providing post-diagnostic support and information
- Helping people access local and national support
Students can refer themselves to the service or college staff can make a referral on their behalf.
Martin, said: “I am delighted with the Mental Health and Wellbeing team. We have a broad church of knowledge skills and experience. Angela is an experienced Mental Health Nurse, Kristina and Nicola have degrees in psychology and vast experience in working with young people’s issues. We have quickly established a collegiate form of working together, and will carry that forward to working with internal and external partners.
“We are available to anyone who is experiencing mental ill health. This could be anxiety about starting College, retraining, or exam stress, or where they have an established diagnosis and need support.
“We can also help and give advice to people who are affected by mental health issues. This includes those who either have a family member they live with, or care for, who have mental health issues.
“Those seeking to self-refer, or to refer someone else with their consent, can do so via our referral form on Moodle. We are also based in the Falkirk Campus Student Hub. If we receive a referral, there will be an e-mail acknowledging receipt immediately. The Team will allocate cases within 24 hours or the next working day, whichever is quickest.
“Any person referred will be offered an initial assessment, and this will on a bespoke basis, determine the way ahead. It will allow individualised approaches to any issue or circumstance. Where necessary we will work on identified problems for eight weeks.”
The Team can be contacted for enquiries via the Team Administrator Katarzyna.slapek@forthvalley.ac.uk or through the team Mental Health Co-ordinator Martin.Murray@forthvalley.ac.uk
More information, including the link to the referral form, can be found here https://bit.ly/3hqerf2