Fundamental Characteristics for Mental Health Inclusion
There are common fundamental characteristics that need to be in place to end structural and direct stigma and discrimination in health and social care. Find out about them here.
Tackling mental health stigma and discrimination is foundational to ensuring that people who experience mental health problems can have a journey of recovery and live fulfilled lives.
If stigma and discrimination exists in the mental health care system, then people will never be able to get the help and support they need. But tackling this stigma and discrimination isn't just about changing things at the front end and supporting someone at a moment of crisis, it's making sure that all the structures, policies and practices are set up so that stigma and discrimination can't exist.
Our tools have been designed to ensure that you can make improvements across all the fundamental characteristics necessary to achieve mental health inclusion.
- Committed leadership
- Inclusive culture and ethos
- Inclusive policies and practices
- Workforce development
- Communication and signposting of support available
- Workforce wellbeing
- Personalised and compassionate care
- Peer support
- Lived experience at the core of service design and delivery
Committed leadership
To ensure that anti stigma messaging and approaches are embedded into policy and practice, you need committed leaders who are willing to take the work forward and make the changes.
Committed leaders must prioritise mental health inclusion as an aspect of organisational strategy and lead on the development and planning of work to tackle stigma and discrimination.
When commissioning, procuring, quality assuring and making improvements leaders must consider the impact on mental health.
