Briefing - About us and our work
Rethink, the leading national mental health membership charity, works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life. We aim to provide hope and empowerment through effective services and support to all those who need us and campaign for change through greater awareness and understanding.
We work to help everyone affected by severe mental illness, including schizophrenia, to recover a better quality of life through:
- Reaching people early
- Helping people affected to recover a meaningful and fulfilling life
- Supporting the people who are most disabled
- Changing attitudes and tackling discrimination.
A wider range than you might think:
Rethink has 383 established mental health services, including employment services, day services, residential and nursing care, telephone helplines, advocacy and advice services, as well as carer support services and education programmes.
People-centred services
We started to become a major provider of community-based services in 1986, 14 years after our foundation. Over the last four years, our services have grown by 50 per cent.
Many of our services have won national recognition. We were chosen by the government to pilot new and innovative approaches to supporting people back into employment under the New Deal for Disabled People Innovative schemes. We also support employers through our Employment Charter. We are now actively involved in the government’s job brokerage scheme.
Rethink projects have won NHS Beacon status as examples of best practice and offer to help other organisations to learn from our experience.
We are determined to continue to expand our services and our influence, offering people affected by severe mental illness real choices and opportunities.
Mutual support
Rethink’s services include groups providing mutual support for service users, such as the National Voices Forum, which is an independent, national network. Our carers’ services include support groups and training programmes providing information and support across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Campaigning for change
We also challenge the popular misconception that a diagnosis of severe mental illness is a life sentence of hospital care and medical treatment.
Our award-winning policy and campaigns department strives to improve life for everyone dealing with severe mental illness. By raising awareness, talking to decision-makers and getting our voice heard in the media, we can make a huge impact on people's lives.
