including self-harming behaviours/eating disorders
What’s in this section:
- Resource library for practitioners
- Organisations that can help
- Information and advice
- Tools and activities
Resource library for practitioners
The social work toolkit website offers a wide range of resources that practitioners can use to discuss Mental Health with children, young people and their families including parents/carers.
Organisations that can help
There are a range of organisations that can be used to inform, direct and provide knowledge for anyone experiencing mental health issues.
Information and advice
Children’s mental health
The Child Adolescent Mental Health Service has provided useful resources to help practitioners work compassionately and thoughtfully with children and young people.
Depression
Information about depression, its symptoms and possible causes, and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips on caring for yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Mental health assessments
A booklet with practical examples of three keys to a Shared Approach to good practice in assessing an individual’s mental health problems.
Postnatal depression and perinatal mental health
Explains postnatal depression and other perinatal mental health issues, including possible causes, sources of treatment and support, and advice for friends and family.
Postnatal depression and perinatal mental health:
help to explain it to children
Information, resources, and tools that practitioners can use with parents/carers and children to inform and educate what developmental trauma is and how to better understand the impact of developmental trauma.
A guide from Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Tools and activities
Below you will find a wide range of resources that can be used with children, young people, and adults. Covering a range of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders and stress. There are also tools that can be used to promote positive mental wellbeing for families you are working with.
Body image
A selection of worksheets to help those working on their own body image and mental health.
Daily affirmations
Many people, when life becomes difficult or challenging often adopt negative attitudes towards themselves and their lives. This exercise is an attempt to bring positive balance into someone’s life
Depression for teens
Dealing With Depression – Antidepressant Skills for Teens guide based on the experience of the authors and on scientific research about which strategies work best in overcoming depression
Eating disorders
This booklet is for anyone who is worried about an eating problem. It describes common eating disorders and what might cause them. It also provides information on how you can help yourself, and what kind of treatment and support is available.
Growing happy feelings
An exercise to help children to write down the things that they need for their happy feelings to grow.
Life is…
Life is… an exercise to help individuals channel negative thoughts into positive statements.
Picture stories
This exercise is to enable someone to talk about their situation or emotional state in a safe and non-threating manner in order to begin to identify some of the main issues in their lives and begin to discuss ways forward
Self-harm
Distraction Techniques and Alternative Coping Strategies
National Self-Harm Network – Distractions that can help…
The ‘Hurt Yourself Less’ Workbook – self-harm prevention & recovery
Stress management wellbeing workbooks
The aim of these four Wellbeing Workbooks is to help individuals learn more about stress and the things they can do to help reduce their stress when they feel very worried or anxious. There are four workbooks altogether and they should each take around 2 hours to complete. Each workbook has information, exercises and games to help them learn about wellbeing.
Children’s Social Care Direct Work Resource Toolkit 