Migrant Women and LGBTQ+ Healthy Mind Power (360G-ThriveLDN-355)

Migrant women and LGBTQ+ in low-paid precarious jobs like domestic workers, cleaners, nannies and caregivers are among the marginalized groups in London. Because of their vulnerable condition, there is a need to improve on their self-esteem, build their resilience and enhance their sense of wellbeing and mental health (MH). It is also imperative to raise their MH awareness, strengthen their access to social support and community resources and heighten their sense of empowerment as protective measures against distress and abuse. The proposed project will address these gaps to mitigate the impact of previous abuse experience and improve their sense of wellbeing towards greater empowerment and better quality of life. This will be done through a series of bi-monthly capacity-building workshops that will focus on topics and issues suggested by target participants in various consultative meetings held previously. Specifically, the intended outcomes are: (1) To raise their level of MH awareness through MH literacy campaigns, participation in advocacy works and other information campaigns; (2) To develop their coping skills, resilience other life skills for greater sustainability and empowerment; (3) To enhance their sense of self-confidence through involvement and participation in the design, implementation and evaluation of the project; (4) To improve their access to social support and community resources through formation of support groups, community volunteering and mobilisation. These outcomes will be measured through pre- and post- assessment of the project in the form of self-report questionnaires, routine outcome monitoring, feedback session, conduct of dialogues and focused group discussion with target participants, and multiple observations and note-taking by the session facilitator. A total of 12 workshops will be held with ton these topics: 1. Introduction to MH and self-awareness (1 session) 2. Self-presentation with dignity - skills in maintaining physical health and wellbeing, self-care (2 sessions) 3. Self-expression - positive and assertive communication skills, social media presence, body movement (3 sessions) 4. Claiming public space/advocacy skills - writing simple narrative of experiences, engaging with media/press skills, writing to MPs and conversations in surgeries, community organising (3 sessions) 5. Coping with anxieties/depression through knowledge of rights at work/society, as women/LGBT+, statutory support and community support, buddy/support system (3 sessions) The proposed project is envisioned to contribute to the priority actions for MH in England (NHS, 2016) on “helping people lead fulfilled, productive lives through promotion of good mental health, prevention of poor mental health and creation of mentally healthy communities."