Mental Health First Aiders

Mental Health First Aiders are here for you. Are you sad? stressed? anxious? worried? hopeless? angry? tearful? overwhelmed? want help? There are plenty of different type of support out there and a Mental Health First Aider can help you access them.
Our Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs)  have been trained to listen, reassure and guide colleagues to access the services and support they need. If you are concerned about your mental health in any way, you can talk confidentially with one of our MHFAs; you can see their profiles below.

Once you have found an MHFA you would like to talk to, you can contact them by email or by text message if they have a work mobile phone (a text message is private and easily seen by the MHFA). They will respond to you as soon as possible to arrange a time to talk – this may take place online, by phone or face-to-face.

Rest assured, the conversation is confidential. The MHFA will make time to listen, offer reassurance and support, and signpost you to services which could help you. Although some notes will be kept as a record of the conversation, this is for evaluation purposes only and the record is held anonymously on part of a server with restricted access to only MHFAs – you can always ask for a copy of the record.


 

Anita Brookman – CCC Coordinator

Email: anita.brookman@nhs.net

Hello,  I work with the administration team in the CCC at Central Court. I am currently a team coordinator for adult services and have been with Bromley Healthcare for 6 years now. Knowing how mental health affected members of my family, I wanted to be able to support others in getting help with their mental health issues. I would like to feel that others can come to me without being judged for how they feel, and they would know that they are not alone.

 


 

Levina Byrnes – Administrator, Bromley Talking Therapies

Email: l.byrnes@nhs.net      

I have worked for Bromley Healthcare for over 10 years. I am an NHS Bromley Talking Therapies Administrator. I decided to become a Mental Health First Aider because I believe mental health should be given the same level of attention as physical health. I feel it’s important to understand mental health and know how to talk about it.

 


 

Sophie Collier – Head of Communications and Engagement

Email: s.collier3@nhs.net    

Mental health plays a significant role in many people’s lives and impacts everyone. There is such a huge need for mental health support and understanding how to give this so that we can look after one another.  Having struggled with mental health challenges myself, and having supported a family member and a close friend through crises, becoming a Mental Health First Aider was so important to me. It really opened my eyes about different types of mental health issues, the stigmas and how to help break these down. My door is always open to colleagues who are struggling.

 


 

Frankie Connor – HCA, Bladder & Bowel 

Email: frankie.connor@nhs.net 

I’m an HCA, I work for the Bladder & Bowel service. I’ve worked in healthcare for over 30 years in different fields. I lived with family members who suffered from with mental health. I have gone through depression myself and came out the other side. I’m a good listener and would always be here to support and signpost anyone who needed help.

 


 

Julie Coombes – Safeguarding School Nurse

Email: julie.coombes3@nhs.net     

I have the pleasure of working in the Bromley 0 to 19 service with the wonderful School Nursing team. Like all the Mental Health First aiders in Bromley Healthcare, I feel passionately about supporting colleagues who are having a less easy time of it. I am a youth mental health first aid trainer and have experience both within my work and my personal life of the impact that poor mental health can have. I have a good listening ear and am pleased to offer support.

 


 

Charlotte George – Assistant General Manager, Adult Care Group

Email: charlotte.george4@nhs.net  

Assistant General Manager, mum of two and a keen mental health advocate: I have always considered myself a people person, talking to and getting to know people is something I have always enjoyed for as long as I can remember, as everyone has their own story to tell. For me, mental health is just as important as physical health, so the opportunity to become a Mental Health First Aider was a no-brainer. To have the knowledge and skills to support individuals is something I am really proud of.

 


 

Teresa Hocking – Associate Director of Adult Services

Email: teresa.hocking@nhs.net     

I’ve worked for Bromley Healthcare for nearly 10 years now and love how supportive the organisation is of Health and Wellbeing initiatives. I’m especially proud to be a Mental Health First Aider, I think mental health and physical health are equal in terms of level of impact they can have and it’s great that we’re having these conversations.

 


 

Julia Papa – Medical Secretary, Community Paediatrics

Email: jpapa@nhs.net

I work for the Community Paediatrics team at the Phoenix Children’s Resource Centre. I am very passionate about good mental health and was very pleased to have been selected to become a Mental Health First Aider. Talking to someone when you are struggling is something that everybody should have access to and I am looking forward to being one of the team that provides this service at Bromley Healthcare.

 


 

Sarah Patmore – Head of HR Business Partnering

Email: sarah.patmore@nhs.net     

In my role, I often speak to people who are experiencing a period of poor mental health or who are working with or supporting someone in that situation. Being a MHFA helps me have a better understanding of what that experience can be like and how I can provide support, whether that is providing a space for someone to talk and be heard or signposting them to external services.

 


 

Sheila Thorne – Talent Development Manager

Email: sheila.thorne@nhs.net     

I have worked in Learning & Development for almost 8 years and really enjoy supporting others to fulfil their potential and develop their careers; supporting people’s wellbeing is part of that. So, when I was asked to introduce Mental Health First Aiders into Bromley Healthcare, I knew straight away that I wanted to train as a volunteer. I had supported a family member through mental health crisis and was so grateful for the support I received at that time, that I knew I wanted to provide to others that listening ear and signpost people on to helpful support.

 


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