Tony McLaren
Since 2004 Tony McLaren has been involved with developing Breathing Space, the free and confidential phone line and website for people who are feeling low or depressed. As National Coordinator he has seen a new team established in Edinburgh and the service hours increased to cover 24 hours at the weekend. Breathing Space is now also available to answer mental health calls received by NHS 24.
Since beginning my involvement with Breathing Space in September 2004 I have seen positive development in so many different areas in the field of mental health. As an integral part of the National Programme, Breathing Space has developed and grown to become a more mature and foundational service within the whole raft of services offered to the people of Scotland who are experiencing difficulties with low mood and depression. In many ways my vision of how Breathing Space would develop has been realised and yet the awareness remains that there is still so much to accomplish.
An original aim was to be more certain of what indeed we were offering to the people of Scotland and how we communicated clearly this message to the nation. Early on we were able to state simply the service we provided as a phone and web-based listening, advice and signposting service, and then to clearly advertise this message through a clear and concise advertising campaign which continues to this day. Along the way the service has grown with among other developments an increase in staff, calls received and opening hours extended.
I have been encouraged and inspired by the leadership and sense of belonging to the National Programme and with the other aspects of development taking place with key delivery initiatives. Breathing Space has an improved appreciation of the other key messages and initiatives offered by ‘see me’, Choose Life, the Scottish Recovery Network and HeadsUpScotland to name just a few.
I have been inspired by the support Breathing Space has received around the country not only from Choose Life coordinators and service users but by the plethora of agencies working in the field who have welcomed and integrated our service to their own local plans. So many websites and services now include the Breathing Space number in their material.
In considering how Scotland mentally ‘flourishes’ then here at Breathing Space we would hope that part of this flourishing includes the potential for openness and acceptance of others, which is sometimes not demonstrated within our society. As we move towards a more mentally flourishing Scotland then perhaps the core qualities of acceptance, positive regard for others and understanding come more to the fore as we put old ways of being behind. In the words of our strap line then, the invitation to all as we at times struggle with our own mental health is to ‘Open up when you’re feeling down’.
www.breathingspacescotland.co.uk
Phoneline: 0800 83 85 87
Click here to find out how to get help now.
