Minister of State for Health Norman Lamb MP, Shadow Health Minister Andy Burnham MP, the Metropolitan Police’s lead for Mental Health Commander Christine Jones and West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones will be among the speakers at the first national conference on policing and mental health organised by Black Mental Health UK(BMH UK) & the African Caribbean Community Initiative (ACCI).
This event is scheduled to take place at the Molineux Conference Centre in Wolverhampton, on Thursday 27th June 2013.
Entitled ‘Policing & Mental Health, Coercion or Care? ACCI & BMH UK National Conference 2013‘ this event offers the first ever public forum where the most senior political figures in both policing and mental health will be able to discuss this issue with leading professionals from the statutory mental health and social services, the police, local authorities, commissioners, the charitable sector as well as service users and community agencies from across the country.
Background
Data from the Count Me in Census’ reports from 2005 – 2011 show of all ethnic groups it is people from the UK’s African Caribbean communities that are 50% more likely to be referred to mental health services via the police than their white counterparts – entry to mental health services via police custody is the norm for black people.
People who use mental health services account for 50% of those who lose their lives in police custody. It is in the area of mental health and policing that many of the most serious causes for concern have arisen over a number of years but continue to remain unaddressed.
The high profile deaths in police custody cases of Kingsley Burell-Brown, Sean Rigg, Olaseni Lewis, Mikey Powell and Roger Sylvester is further evidence that failures in policing of mental health services users, which is impacting people from Briton’s black communities in greatest numbers.
Professionals responsible for running or commissioning mental health services, who attend this conference, will learn first-hand what action needs to be taken to improve the treatment of this patient group. Delegates will find out how joint working and investment in front line community based services like ACCI, is critical to bringing about improvements in patient experience and professional practice in this important area of mental health care, which crosses policing, mental health and social care professional arena’s.
Speakers: | |
Minister of State for Health Norman Lamb MP | Shadow Health Minister Andy Burnham MP |
Metropolitan Police lead for Mental Health Commander Christine Jones | Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands (PCC) Bob Jones |
Chair of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) David Prior | Chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) Dame Anne Owers |
Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Mental Health Charles Walker MP | Her Majesty’s Coroner for East London at Walthamstow Coroners Court Chinyere Inyama |
Services Director at the African Caribbean Community Initiative (ACCI), Alicia Spence | Director of Black Mental Health UK (BMH UK) Matilda MacAttram |
Cousin of Mikey Powell who died while in police custody, while in need of mental health care in 2003, Tippa Naphtali | Pastor New Testament Church of God and mental health campaigner Rev Paul Grey |
NHS England National Clinical Director of Mental Health Dr Geraldine Strathdee OBE |
|
To book a place for this one day event
- Visit: http://blackmentalhealthorguk.eventbrite.co.uk and register online
or - Email events@blackmentalhealth.org.uk to reserve a place and arrange payment
or - Download, print and return the registration and e-mail it back to us at events@blackmentalhealth.org.uk or post it to us at the at : Black Mental Health UK, 50 Broadway, St James Park, Westminster, London SW1H 0RG
W: www.blackmentalhealth.org.uk
Winner of the Ebony Business Recognition (Ebr) Award 2012!!!
BMH UK was voted number one under category C, health and wellbeing
