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Embedded NHS peer support - peer support for postpartum psychosis in your area:

Embedded NHS peer support

We know that meeting and talking to others with experience of postpartum psychosis (PP) is incredibly important in recovering and coming to terms with the experience.

We have peer support facilitators and volunteer teams based within some NHS services and Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) to help us provide peer support for postpartum psychosis in your area.

Birmingham and Solihull

Peer support for postpartum psychosis in your areaNatalie Thompson is our peer support facilitator, working in partnership with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Natalie supports women and families affected by PP (or other manic/psychotic illnesses) and runs a regular café group for the area.

 

Peer support for postpartum psychosis in your areaSoukaina Bennani is our embedded peer support facilitator in the Birmingham MBU and West Birmingham community team. She provides peer support to women, their partners and families affected by postpartum psychosis. You can read more about the project and find out how to get involved as a volunteer here, or please email: birmingham@app-network.org.

Lancashire and South Cumbria

Our peer support facilitator here is Jocelyn Ellams. She works with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust providing face-to-face peer support and information to mums and their families at Ribblemere MBU in Chorley and in the community. She supports women who have a history of PP or other manic/psychotic illnesses such as bipolar.

You can read more about the project and find out how to get involved as a volunteer here, or please email

North East and North Cumbria

From June 2021 to April 2023, APP had a collaborative project with Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust to provide peer support to inpatients at Beadnell MBU in Morpeth and a monthly group in the community for recovering and recovered women with experience of PP in the region. APP continue to run a café group in the region. To stay informed of upcoming dates for all regional café groups, you can visit this page.

The Black Country

Peer support for postpartum psychosis in your areaJo Derry is APP's Peer Support Facilitator on our collaborative project with Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Jo works with the two perinatal community mental health teams within the Trust - Walsall and Wolverhampton and Dudley and Sandwell. She provides peer support to women affected by PP and their families.

You can read more about the project and find out how to get involved as a volunteer here, or please email blackcountry@app-network.org.

Manchester

APP works in partnership with Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust (GMMH) providing peer support to inpatients at Andersen Ward Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) in Wythenshawe.

APP’s team of Alison Barrott, Nicola Gardner and Rachel McVeigh supports women, one-to-one and through small group activities, at the MBU. They also spend time talking to partners and families of women during the acute illness phase, sharing information, giving hope and signposting to APP’s support and other resources.

The project also includes a new monthly café group for the region. If you live in the Manchester region and would like to meet other mums, parents and families affected by postpartum psychosis at the group, or become an APP volunteer, please email .