About IMH
Staff
Manager:
Ruth Steinberg became manager at IMH in 1993. Ruth is responsible
for overall management of IMH. She previously worked in Leeds City Libraries
and the HIV and AIDS team of Leeds
Social Services. Ruth has said "if information
is power, then we have a lot of it and we want to give it away". She is
committed to creative thinking and debate in mental health
Information development worker:
Kate Brown previously managed a mental health service in Wakefield and
has worked extensively through out the voluntary sector for over 10 years.
Her belief
that information and the conduits by which it travels is fundamental to
recovery and to services wishing to be effective, led her to take up the
post of development worker at IMH in September 2007. She has a flexible
and inclusive approach which creates space for innovation.
Information worker and project administrator:
Chris Lusardi has worked at IMH since 1993, first as a volunteer
for 8 years, then as a paid member of staff since 2001. He believes in an open-minded
and holistic approach to mental health. He strongly believes in the importance
of information to empower service users, especially in helping them to obtain
as wide a choice of approaches and services as possible.
Information volunteers:
- Bessie Newton
- David Maccobby
- Sue Margaret
Funding
IMH is a partnership between Leeds Mind and Leeds Social Services. (Ruth Steinberg is employed by Social Services; all other staff work for Leeds Mind.)
Funding currently in use consists of:
- staffing and other core funding – Leeds Social Services
- library
- Leeds Mental Health Directory 2002-2006
- On-line directory, Resources Directory & Guide, and Quick Guide – Leeds
Primary Care Trust
- Information while you are in hospital - Leeds
Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust
- British Sign Language web pages – Leeds Special Grants Programme
- Undesignated funding – NIMHE Positive Practice Award, 2005
History
- 1980s: information service based at Roundhay Road Day Centre
- 1988: LINX – Leeds Mental Health Information Exchange (based at Woodhouse Lane)
- 1990: Information for Mental Health established
- 1991: 1st edition Directory of Mental Health Resources in Leeds
- 1992: IMH database
- 1994: 2nd edition Directory of Mental Health Resources
- 1997: seconded to Leeds Mind (at Grove Villa).
- 1998: 3rd edition Leeds Mental Health Directory. Respect Conference.
- 1999: Including Us magazine
- 2000: moved to St Michael's Road, Headingley.
- 2001: new paid staff and volunteers.
- 2002: Leeds Mental Health Directory...on-line (i.e. this website!)
- 2003: How are you feeling? posters and leaflet.
- 2004: Resources Directory & Guide
- 2005: Quick Guide and Information while you are in hospital, NIMHE Positive Practice Award, 1 million website hits since launch
- 2006: British Sign Language web pages
- 2007: website redeveloped.
- 2007: Chinese language audio clips
- 2008: Next edition of Quick Guide published