'See Me' campaign action plans embraced by Highland Council

The Highland Council has confirmed its support for a number of action plans in order to back the ‘See Me’ campaign, a drive to tackle the stigma and discrimination that surrounds mental health issues, such as dementia and learning disabilities.

The campaign was launched in 2002, is funded by the Scottish Government and consists of an alliance of five mental health organisations in Scotland: the Highland Users Group, Penumbra, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Scottish Association for Mental Health and Support In Mind Scotland.

The action plans, to be pursued by a number of Highland organisations, are designed to target employers, service providers and community stakeholders in order to encourage more open discussion of mental health issues and to further involve communities in helping to achieve more versatile lifestyle solutions.

Commenting on the See Me campaign, councillor Sandy Park said: ‘The Highland Council is committed to working against the stigma of mental ill-health. For people with mental health problems, coping with stigma can be harder than living with the illness itself. We’re pleased to be signing… alongside our partners and will continue to work with them towards a time when stigma is a thing of the past.’

Earlier this year the Scottish Association for Mental Health welcomed the Scottish Government’s draft mental health strategy, though were keen to see the consultation involve local authorities, the voluntary sector and non-NHS services more thoroughly. The strategy outlined the achievement of services that are ‘person centred, safe and effective’ as its core purpose, as part of a four-year process to transform all mental health outcomes by 2015.