Our aims
Open Your Mind was developed with its strategic partners and the NHS organisations illustrating best practice in the field of mental health and employment.
The campaign has five strategic aims.
• Reduce stigma and misunderstanding around mental ill health
• Help create a better working environment and positive culture in the NHS for those experiencing mental health conditions
• Raise awareness amongst NHS organisations about the benefits of increasing employment among people with mental health conditions
• Aid staff retention and therefore improve intellectual capital, improving productivity, performance and business benefits
• Support NHS organisations as exemplars in employment of people with mental ill health and as local employers of choice.
Partnerships
To support the aims of Open Your Mind, NHS Employers has developed strategic partnerships with a number of organisations.
National Mental Health Development Unit
Launched in April 2009, consists of a small central team and a range of programmes funded by both the Department of Health and the NHS. It provides national support for implementing mental health policy by advising on national and international best practice to improve mental health and mental health services.
NMHDU’s work is being developed through co-production between DH and the ten Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs), and strategic partnerships with other groups such as the NHS Confederation, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and the major mental health third sector organisations.
It has taken over some of the national activities previously carried out by the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) while the SHAs will incorporate the resources of the former NIMHE Regional Development Centres to support regional and local delivery.
Mental Health Network
The Mental Health Network was established in May 2007 to provide a distinct and independent voice for mental health and learning disability providers. Their aim is to improve the influence of mental health and learning disability providers - ensuring that their voice is heard and counted - ultimately improving the system for patients.
They were formed following a decision by the National Mental Health Partnership (NMHP) to be fully incorporated into the NHS Confederation and be re-established as a new Network for mental health organisations.
UNISON
UNISON is Britain and Europe's biggest public sector union with more than 1.3 million members. Our members are people working in the public services, for private contractors providing public services and in the essential utilities. They include frontline staff and managers working full or part time in the NHS, local authorities, the police service, colleges and schools, the electricity, gas and water industries, transport and the voluntary sector. Last year UNISON recruited 137,000 new members which is 375 per day.
Time To Change
Time to Change is a partnership of organisations that has come together to combat the stigma and discrimination that exists around mental health. It is run by a partnership of three major mental health charities: Mental Health Media, Mind and Rethink, and evaluated by the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College, London.
They have 28 local community projects around England, run by local Mind associations and Rethink groups. It also works nationally, with campaigns and projects run by all three partners.
