THE NHS MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERY ACADEMY TURNS 10!

The Recovery Academy, part of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), is celebrating its 10th birthday with the launch of the brand-new spring/summer term, including a range of new and exciting face to face courses and digital resources.

The Recovery Academy first launched in 2013, and since first opening its doors, has offered a wide range of learning opportunities for anyone looking to manage their own mental wellbeing or support someone else.

At the heart of the Recovery Academy lies core values of inclusivity, empowerment, and hope. These values are embedded via their co-production approach, meaning that all resources are co-developed and co-delivered with people with lived experience.

The new term, launching on the 3rd April and running until September 2023, will feature an exciting new range of digital resources.

These will include self-help resources, podcast series and audio clips focusing on autism, the menopause, cost of living support, and relaxation.

There will also be a new e-Learning package and e-Magazine to explore on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which is a brand-new subject area for the Recovery Academy.

New face-to-face courses for 2023 cover a range of subjects including: your rights as a tenant, coaching skills to support recovery, and a national programme increasing your confidence in having conversations around mental health.

The Recovery Academy’s tried and tested face-to-face courses will also still be on offer from May until September 2023, including courses focusing on trauma, compassion-focused therapy, mindfulness, and creativity.

Free face to face courses will be available at various locations across Manchester, Bolton, Salford, Trafford and Wigan.

The Recovery Academy is free to join and available to:

·       Anyone who is experiencing mental health and/or addiction problems (you do not have to be under the care of NHS mental health services).

·       Their supporters (family, friends and loved ones).

·       GMMH staff, volunteers, and students on placement.

·       Any healthcare professionals.

A student who recently attended the Understanding and Managing Bipolar course said:

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“I really enjoy coming to the Recovery Academy courses. I feel I always learn a lot and enjoy viewing topics from different perspectives”.

Claire Watson, Head of Service User / Carer Engagement & Improvement, with responsibility for the Recovery Academy, said:

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“Happy 10th birthday to our Recovery Academy! Over the past 10 years I have been humbled by the amount of support from all our staff, service users and partner organisations. The range of people involved has always made the Recovery Academy feel like our shared resource. It belongs equally to everyone with a strong focus on developing understanding, knowledge and skills to support their own mental health, or on empowering others to do so. In this way, we continue to tackle stigma and promote positive cultures within families, communities and organisations, that understand mental health better and support people with compassion.

“I am proud of what we have achieved together over the past 10 years and look forward to seeing what we can achieve over the coming years. This new term is an excellent start with what is the largest growth in our offer in any one term since we started. The range of digital products is impressive, and I look forward to both seeing people enjoy them and hearing the feedback from our highly valued tutors and students. Enjoy everyone and thank you to each and every one of you, we really couldn’t have done it without you!”

 

If you would like to see what the Recovery Academy can offer you, visit:  https://recoveryacademy.gmmh.nhs.uk/.

You can also contact the Recovery Academy team directly with any questions via email: recoveryacademy@gmmh.nhs.uk or telephone: 0161 358 1771.

Photo ©: Claire Watson