Displaying items by tag: self harm

We know that Jesus came to transform our brokenness, and, as His representatives on earth, we carry His mandate. But how do we address the huge issue of mental health? Emerge Advocacy has been taking on the challenge. Launched in Guildford in 2016, Emerge is a ‘voice of hope’ to young people who find themselves overwhelmed by their thoughts and feelings and unable to keep themselves safe. Teams in A&E departments bringing comfort, hope and peace to young people admitted after self-harming or a suicide attempt. They have already supported over 350 young people, and their work is recognised by the Care Quality Commission. Young people struggling to articulate thoughts and feelings to health professionals may feel intimidated by the clinical environment. Volunteers stay with them, reassuring them, chatting, explaining what is happening, and helping them engage with health professionals, so that the experience is not so overwhelming.

A ‘safer custody’ telephone line for families to flag up concerns about a prisoner's physical or mental health was a key recommendation in a review commissioned by the Government, but research shows hotlines were not answered or had not been set up in over one third of jails. Most emergency calls went to an answering machine. Figures for the twelve months to June 2019 revealed 86 self-inflicted deaths, up from 81 in 2018, and 57,968 incidents of self-harm, an increase of 24% on the previous year. Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust (PRT), said the problem is a very long way from being solved. It demands action now, as lives depend on it. The PRT said poor arrangements for families to get in touch with prisons had been identified in inquests into the deaths of prisoners.