DIRECTORY OF STATUTORY ORGANISATIONS

 
Community Development Team
 
Roger Batterbury (Manager)
Mabel Fan (Senior CDW)
Sadhia Amin (CDW)
Shipa Ahmed Khan (CDW)
Ebadur Raza Chowdhury (CDW)
 
Friendship House
Elm Grove
Southsea, PO5 1JT
 
Tel: 023 9275 5485 Fax: 023 9281 5483 Email: cdw@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
 
Facts
 
Statistics from the Department of Health reveal 1 in 4 people in England will experience some form of mental health problem during their lifetime. Figures indicate people from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities are likely to suffer more and tend to access mental health services at the crisis point, rather than at the beginning of their illness. BME people experience poor health and face greater problems accessing health services.
 
What are Community Development Workers (CDW'S)?
 
CDW's are supporting BME communities by:
 

• Providing information on mental health and well being.
• Reducing the fear and stigma associated with mental health.
• Addressing the barriers to accessing services.
• Listening to your comments & views about local mental health services in Portsmouth.
• Informing mental health services of your views and needs.
• Engaging & empowering communities to help shape local MH services.
• Setting up culturally appropriate support groups & signpost to other relevant services.
• Aiming to improve satisfaction with services for BME communities

Four key roles for CDWs set by the National Delivering Race Equality (DRE) team in Mental Health:
 

• Change Agent: To identify community concerns and gaps in services, and to increase communication between community and statutory services in order to promote change.
• Service Developer: To develop joint work relationships between statutory and volunteer organisations, education and training by highlighting the importance of culture in services and advice on training and education for staff.
• Capacity Builder: To engage with BME communities, organisations and groups to support community leadership and develop socially inclusive BME communities.
• Access Facilitator: To address language, culture and other barriers and help people to find effective pathways across mental health services.

BME communities in Portsmouth
 
The population in Portsmouth comprises of more than 80 BME groups. Some of these are well-established communities, such as Bangladeshi, Chinese, Indian, and Vietnamese are in their third or fourth generation. Other communities include Polish, Kurdish, Afghan, Arabian, French, African, Cameroonian, Caribbean, Romanian, Albanian, Russian and Iraqi.
 
Some useful links
 
Delivering Race Equality (DRE)
Count me in census
CDW's Final Hand Book
Black and Minority Ethnic Mental Health
Chinese Mental Health
Black Mental Health UK Statistics & Facts