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Young People with Mental Health Problems

  1. 1. Background

    • For many young people adolescence is a confusing time of change; for those who experience additional difficulties with their mental health, this can be a frightening and isolating time.
    • Over the last twenty-five years rates of anxiety and depression amongst young people have increased by 70%.

    Young people are often reluctant to seek help from mental health services for fear of being stigmatised, and despite the greater focus on children’s and young people’s well-being, the availability of support both within and outside mental health settings is still patchy. If left unsupported, the impact of ill health and stigma can be devastating, but with the right help at the right time, young people with mental health problems can make great improvements to their well being. We have a long history of supporting young people with mental health problems and we are committed to continuing to grow this area.

  2. Please note this is a very oversubscribed funding programme. We are specifically looking to reach young people with current mental health problems such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, hearing voices, self harm, eating disorders or suicidal feelings. If you are in any doubt as to whether your project meets our criteria then please contact the team before you complete the application form.

    We do not fund

    • Projects for young people with learning disabilities, autism, or ADHD (unless they are also supporting these young people with the type of mental health issues detailed above)
    • Prevention projects targeting those at risk of developing mental health problems
    • Projects dealing with young people’s general emotional wellbeing

    2. Aim of the Programme

    This programme aims to provide support to young people with current mental health problems aged 11-25. We will fund work which meets the aim above and one or both of the outcomes below.

    There are two strands to the programme:

    • Services for young people

      We are keen to fund a range of services and approaches to help young people experiencing mental health problems make positive changes in their lives. We are looking to fund interventions which directly relate to young people’s mental health problems. This could include individual counselling, group work or peer support related to dealing with existing and identifiable mental health problems. We especially welcome applications where support is provided in settings in which young people feel comfortable, and do not fear being labelled or stigmatised.

    • Training

      We will also fund work that ensures those working with young people with mental health problems, including in general youth work settings, have access to good quality training to improve their skill base and confidence levels.

  3. 3. Outcomes

    The organisations we fund will need to show how their work will help deliver one or more of the following outcomes:

    • Increased access to appropriate services for young people with mental health problems, resulting in improved mental health.
    • A greater understanding and specialist skill base amongst practitioners working with young people with mental health needs.

  4. 4. Who will we fund?

    We will consider applications from organisations working with young people aged 11-25 providing counselling and therapeutic interventions, as well as specialist projects focused on particular issues such as eating disorders or bi-polar conditions. At all times, such work must demonstrate it is assisting young people with current mental health problems.

    We will also consider applications from organisations targeting particular sections of the community dealing with mental health problems such as young homeless people or refugees & asylum seekers. We are keen to look at innovative ways of supporting young people with mental health problems such as peer support and other young people-led approaches.

    We can support work taking place in general youth work settings as well as within specialist services. All work however must target young people with mental health problems. We will also fund specialist mental health training for staff working with this group of young people.

  5. 5. Other Important Information

    We recognise the importance of strong local partnerships between voluntary and statutory agencies in delivering effective services to young people with mental health problems. We know that, in practice, this means that agencies from these different sectors may be sharing resources and working together on specific projects. We are interested in hearing how you work within the local strategies on young people and mental health and how our funds can help you achieve the best possible outcomes in this complex funding environment.

    Please note, we cannot support work seeking to improve young people’s general well-being in this programme, as we target our funds towards those with recognised mental health problems with a need for specialist support.