The Gender Equality and Women's Mental Health Programme (GE&WMH)
was established by NIMHE in 2004 to progress the implementation of
‘Into the Mainstream' (DH, 2002). Its primary aim is to ensure the
development of mental health systems that are able to deliver
appropriate gender sensitive services with a particular focus on women.
The
national programme has been run in partnership with the 8 NIMHE/CSIP
Regional Development Centres, all of who had identified some capacity
to take this agenda forward. The picture is changing with regard to the
engagement of regional leads and will be establishing new ways of
linking with each region.
The programme has a Programme
Board which brings together representative from the Department of
Health, NHS mental health provider Trusts, independent sector
providers, professional bodies and service users. In addition a Service
User Reference Group has been developed to strengthen the
accountability for the programme to women who use mental health
services to ensure that the programme is shaped by women who use a
diverse range of services to ensure that the programme is shaped by
women who use a diverse range of services and to support the programme
by providing expertise and guidance.
Priorities for the
programme were developed from ‘Into the Mainstream' and have provided
the focus for the programme's work. The programme is widening its focus
to include the specific mental health needs of men and Transgendered
individuals.