About Reach
Out Camden
What we offer
Through Reach Out Camden, you will have access to a range of support and
opportunities across the borough. We know that there’s no one-size-fits-all model when it comes to wellbeing, so we work with each person as an individual to discover what matters most to them. Once we get to know you, we will make suggestions about what kind of support could work well, and help you to access it.
Here are a few examples of what we offer:
One-to-one support
Sometimes we just need someone to talk with who is kind, compassionate and on our side – someone who is curious about our experience and can provide practical and emotional support to suit our needs…
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We offer a range of options for one-to-one support, including talking with a key worker or a peer mentor (someone with lived experience, who may have gone through something similar to you). This support is time limited – you will work with someone consistently so that you have a familiar face by your side during the time you have together.
You can explore anything you want in your sessions, it all depends on what’s a priority for you. For example, you could choose to spend time:
- Practicing and developing existing skills, to help you feel better able to manage day-to-day life, or cope in more challenging times.
- Connecting, or reconnecting, with interests or hobbies, as a way to express yourself and meet like minded people.
- Attending community events, increasing confidence when it comes to meeting new people and going to new places.
- Getting some help with practical tasks, such as completing PIP forms, addressing housing issues and managing household bills.
Or you could simply choose to spend time together talking about life and enjoying some company.
Activity groups
Coming together in a group can help us all with our motivation, self-esteem and confidence. It can help us build connections with other people and develop new skills, all while having some fun too…
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Our activity-based wellbeing groups aim to bring together people who share skills and interests, as well as offering opportunities to try new things in an encouraging, supportive environment.
We provide a varied programme of short and long-term activity groups. These change and develop as we go, reflecting the seasons and new ideas people bring, but here are a few examples of what you can expect:
- Adult education courses
- Museum visits
- Arts and crafts
- Wood working
- Gardening
- Nature walks
- Exercise classes
- Comedy improvisation
Or you could simply choose to spend time together talking about life and enjoying some company.
Peer support groups
It’s really important that we all have spaces where we can totally be ourselves, free from any feelings of shame or judgement. For lots of us, coming together with people who have shared life experiences can be a great way to find this sense of safety and freedom…
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We run peer support groups – these are ongoing, drop-in spaces for people who share a common experience.
Service user involvement
Service offers are stronger and more effective when they’ve been shaped by the people that use them and many of you may want to participate more directly in influencing the future of mental health support in Camden…
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Throughout your time working with Reach Out Camden, you will have the chance to do just this through service user involvement projects.
These opportunities offer a chance to come together with other people to share your opinions, feedback and ideas, and advocate for positive change.
Current projects include the Camden Borough User Group (CBUG), which aims to coordinate and organise the voice of service users in Camden.
You may not know at this stage which option is right for you – that’s not a problem! After you make a referral, the Reach Out Camden navigators will help you explore what’s available and support you to think about what could be a good match for you
What you can expect
We work with everyone in a person-centred way throughout their time with us and your preferences, hopes and goals will define your experience with us. This means everyone’s journey will be slightly different, but here is how you can expect your time with Reach Out Camden to begin.
Making a referral
You, or someone you know such as a friend or GP, makes a referral to Reach Out Camden. This can be done online, over the phone, by post, or in-person at one of our drop in events. Do get in touch if you need any support with this.
A Reach Out Camden Navigator will get in touch (via your preferred contact method) within 3-4 weeks to discuss the options further.
You’ll talk with your Navigator about your situation and what kind of support you’re looking for, and begin to explore options together within the alliance that may be of interest to you.
A Reach Out Camden Navigator will contact you to arrange an initial ‘Get To Know You’ meeting.
If it’s really clear after this chat which of our support offers you’d like to try, then great! Once you’ve decided on a direction, we’ll help to make sure everything’s in place for you to get started as soon as possible.
If it’s not so clear, that’s also completely fine. You can take some time to digest the options and can have another conversation with your navigator if that might help.
A little more about
Reach Out Camden
We are a collective of charities working closely
together to try and make it easier for people to
get the support they really want and need.
The charities that deliver support as part of Reach Out Camden are Likewise, Mind in
Camden and Voiceability. The Advocacy Project supports people using services to be part of shaping them (they do not provide Advocacy services in Camden). All the charities have deep roots in Camden and were brought together by Camden Council to support people in the borough access support that they may not have found otherwise.
This means the people you’ll work with during
your time with us may be based in different
places and work for different organisations, but
when you refer to Reach Out Camden you’ll be a
part of our joint community.
Make a referral
If you’re a Camden resident (or registered with a Camden GP), over the age of 18, and
interested in exploring options near you, we’d love to hear from you.