Staff Mental Health and Disability Network

The Staff Mental Health and Disability Network provides a welcoming space for all staff with a personal interest in experiences of distress and confusion, emotional wellbeing and a commitment to improving approaches to work and mental health.

We hope to generate an increased level of acceptance and understanding of experiences of distress and confusion (and creative ways to deal with this) across all areas of the University.

We are also interested in addressing social justice and human rights issues in relation to mental health problems and work.

And we hope to ensure that the views and concerns of staff who live with mental health challenges are represented and considered at organisational level, so that these will begin to form part of the University’s wider equality and diversity agenda.

The network will use the following principles of self-organisation:

• We recognise that there is no one best way of understanding this subject.
• We hold the belief that each person has wisdom and expertise about their own experiences and what is likely to be real and or helpful for them, and that this wisdom needs to be valued and respected.
• We encourage everyone who attends to contribute to decision making about both the content of the meeting and the way it is organised.
• Everyone is welcome to attend these meetings.

The meetings are open to anyone and everyone and encourage debate and dialogue.

For further information please contact: s.kilminster@leeds.ac.uk