Following a visit to Change Mental Health’s newly opened resource centre in Invergordon, Maree Todd MSP has praised the charity for its efforts in tackling the challenges linked to rural mental health.
Change Mental Health’s resource centre has recently relocated to Murray House in Invergordon after previously being based on Alness High Street for over 25 years.
The new centre continues to provide mental health and wellbeing support in the community through group work and community engagement.
The team also deliver outreach and carer support across Ross-shire to reach the most remote and rural people in the region.
Commenting, Caithness, Sutherland & Ross MSP Maree Todd said:
“I was grateful for the opportunity to visit Change Mental Health’s new resource centre in Invergordon and hear about the mental health and wellbeing support the team is providing in my constituency.
“In rural areas, people can often experience social isolation and loneliness, struggle to access services or face stigma when seeking mental health support.
“Change is actively working to address the challenges linked to rural mental health by offering outreach support to those in hard-to-reach areas in the Highlands.
“I was pleased to also learn that social prescribing, an important approach to self-management of mental health, is included in the valuable support provided by Change.”
Social prescribing is based on a clear rationale that supporting people to access and use non-medical sources of support can contribute to improved mental health.
This can include opportunities for the arts, physical activity, outdoor activity, learning, volunteering, and befriending services as well as support with benefits, legal advice etc.
This helps to ensure that individuals are linked to resources and services available within their community.
Lesley Collins, our Highland Resource Centre and Outreach Manager said:
“It’s been fantastic to have Maree Todd MSP to visit our new resource centre in Invergordon this week, where she was able to hear first-hand about the work we are doing in the local community to support those affected by mental illness.
“As the local MSP, Ms Todd also had the chance to hear about our valued Community Link Worker service which collaborates with 29 GP surgeries across the Highlands to support individuals with poor mental health through social prescribing.
“As an organisation, we are dedicated to providing high quality, person-centred and non-clinical care for people with mental illnesses in their community.
“Change Mental Health has been supporting people across Ross-shire for a quarter of a century, and we are excited to continue to deliver this support in our brand-new facilities in Invergordon.”
