World Mental Health Day is being marked worldwide today (October 10) raising awareness of what can be done to ensure that people with mental health problems can live well and with dignity.
Cause UK client Doncaster housing association, Riverside, runs a community-based floating mental health and housing service for people affected by mental health conditions in the town – just one example of how the organisation is helping people thrive in their own home by supporting them with their tenancy.
Riverside Area Manager, Wendy Heritage-Stevens, said: “Since Riverside’s Doncaster Mental Health Floating Support Service began operating two and a half years ago, we have had hundreds of referrals. Our team operate the ‘floating’ service by meeting customers in their homes.
“We have funding to support up to 300 single people and families suffering from mental health condition to obtain and maintain tenancies in Doncaster. We work with people affected by anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.
“We are seeing an increasing demand for our support service and are working with other agencies to provide a package of support to ensure people have the practical help they need to maintain their tenancy or property. We help around 80 people at any one time and continue to receive a high number of referrals from our partner mental health agencies.”