Hello Students, Colleagues and Friends,

Here are the details of all the courses we are running in February. Lots of interesting topics and learning opportunities, including five new courses!

All these sessions are, as always, available to everyone, free of charge. You don’t need to be a SLaM Recovery College student or have any connection at all to the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. We just ask that you answer a few questions and let us know which sessions you’d like to be a part of, using one of the registration forms links below, and we’ll then send you links to the webinars you’ve chosen.

The great majority of our webinars are run as Live Events on the Microsoft Teams platform, meaning that you can join anonymously and will be neither seen nor heard. Instead, you interact by typing questions and comments into a Q&A panel. Occasionally we will run a course in a Meetings format for a limited group of students, where you will be seen and heard, but these will be clearly identified as such.
 
If you can't make a particular live event you can still enrol and use the link we'll send you to watch a recording later.

Daily Mindfulness 
Every weekday morning (Monday 1st February-Friday 26th February) from 10:30am to 11:15am. We’ll send you all the links, but you can attend as many or as few as you’d like.  
 
Introduction to Coaching Skills 
A four-part course. Coaching is a way of opening up spaces for personal reflection, helping people become aware of their strengths and resourcefulness, and supporting them to achieve their goals. Coaching is a series of conversations between a coach and another person aimed at bringing out the best in the person being coached. Whether we are mental health professionals, people who use services, or carers and supporters, we all know that the quality of our relationships and the conversations within those relationships are very important. Coaching tools and techniques can support people’s recovery by helping them tackle the challenges and everyday stresses of life. ­­ 
Introduction to Coaching Skills Part 1 | 1:30pm-2:30pm | Monday 1st February 
Introduction to Coaching Skills Part 2 | 1:30pm-2:30pm | Wednesday 3rd February 
Introduction to Coaching Skills Part 3 | 1:30pm-2:30pm | Monday 8th February 
Introduction to Coaching Skills Part 4 | 1:30pm-2:30pm | Wednesday 10th February  
  
Coping with Winter| 10:30am-11:30am | Tuesday 2nd February  
Wintertime can be an especially difficult period for those who experience mental ill-health. In this stand-alone webinar, we will share ideas on how we can look after ourselves and those we care for during the winter months.   
 
Living Through the Third Lockdown Drop-In Sessions 
Now we are in Lockdown 3, understandable feelings of fatigue, frustration, uncertainty, and disappointment are shared by many people. All of this can make it harder to remain hopeful and resilient. We are offering weekly drop-in sessions (take part in as many, or as few, as you’d like) on Living Through the Third Lockdown so we can support each other through these continuing challenges. Each session will start with a 15-minute presentation; we will then move into smaller discussion groups to explore, share, and learn from all our different experiences. The sessions will conclude with everyone coming back together and sharing what we have found most helpful and what we might take from the session to use in our daily lives. In February, we will be exploring topics such as coping with separation from close ones, maintaining relationships, communicating online, misinformation and conspiracy theories about Covid-19. We would love to hear your suggestions for other topics you feel may be helpful to cover, and we will try our best to include your ideas. These sessions will be in the Microsoft Teams Meeting format, which means we will be able to see and hear each other, have group discussions, and share experiences and helpful tips. We will also be presenting slides and giving you suggested activities to complete between sessions. The sessions will run every Tuesday 12noon – 1pm throughout lockdown. Once you have registered your interest in the course, we will ask you to complete an online participation agreement. These sessions won’t be recorded, so you’ll need to take part live. This month’s sessions: 
Living Through the Third Lockdown Drop-In | 12noon-1pm | Tuesday 2nd February 
Living Through the Third Lockdown Drop-In | 12noon-1pm | Tuesday 9th February 
Living Through the Third Lockdown Drop-In | 12noon-1pm | Tuesday 16th February 
Living Through the Third Lockdown Drop-In | 12noon-1pm | Tuesday 23rd February 
Then every Tuesday thereafter during the lockdown. 
 
Introduction to Beth 
SLaM’s Beth website, designed for us on laptops and PCs, tablets and smartphones, is a free and secure way for our patients and carers to stay connected with their care team. For service users, Beth is very friendly and easy to use, and supports personal choice and autonomy. You can link your Beth account with your NHS number to access your health records and:   

• see who is in your care team and support network  
• securely message your care team   
• access your current care plan  
• see all your appointments  
• keep track of your mood and sleep  
• use free and trusted online health resources  

For people caring for someone under SLaM services you can create your own account to look after your own wellbeing and securely message their care team. This is a stand-alone session, repeated twice in February, so there’s no need to register for both. Although you can if you want to. 
Introduction to Beth | 12noon-1pm | Tuesday 2nd February 
Introduction to Beth | 12noon-1pm | Tuesday 16th February 
 
Making Changes: how to start and where to maintain 
The aim of this four-part course is to enable participants to explore, embrace and prepare for the challenges involved when embarking on a change of lifestyle. This may include reducing alcohol consumption or embarking on an exercise programme or a healthy eating plan.  The learning will be applicable to any type of change someone wishes to make in their life. We will also look at decision making and managing and maintaining the process of recovery as it applies, for example, to relapse prevention.
Making Changes Part 1 | 10:30am-11:30am | Wednesday 3rd February
Making Changes Part 2 | 10:30am-11:30am | Wednesday 10th February 
Making Changes Part 3 | 10:30am-11:30am | Wednesday 17th February 
Making Changes Part 4 | 10:30am-11:30am | Wednesday 24th February 
 
New! Creativity and Wellbeing | 2pm-3pm | Wednesday 3rd February 
Developed by the Education Department of Dulwich Picture Gallery in collaboration with SLaM Recovery College. Taking inspiration from the gallery’s Vase with Flowers by Jan Van Huysum, participants will work collaboratively with the gallery's artists to explore new techniques to develop their own creative artwork. This stand-alone webinar has been developed to support participants’ creativity and wellbeing. Throughout the session you will be encouraged to explore new skills, to be mindful, and to learn how to connect with the five ways of wellbeing: connect, be active, learn, take notice, give. All you need to have with you at the start of the session are a pencil, a pen and 8 x sheets of paper (A5 or A4). 
 
Moving Towards Self-Compassion 
This ten-part evening course explores the idea of self-compassion and how this can lead to a greater sense of self-acceptance and empathy with other people. Each week, we will explore a different topic, practise some self-compassion exercises, then reflect on our experience. There will be pre-session and post-session activities which you can complete at home. We hope this course would be of interest to, and be of benefit to, anyone who might struggle with perfectionism or self-criticism. We also warmly welcome anyone curious about this subject, and who enjoys reflecting on what it means to be human. These are the sessions we’re running in February: 
Part 4 | 6:30pm-7:30pm| Wednesday 3rd February 
Part 5 | 6:30pm-7:30pm | Wednesday 10th February 
Part 6 | 6:30pm-7:30pm | Wednesday 17th February 
Part 7 | 6:30pm-7:30pm | Wednesday 24th February 
Then every Wednesday evening following, except that there will be a break of a few weeks between session 9 (10th March) and session 10 (31st March) 
 
New! Understanding Self-Harm 
Rates of self-harm in the UK have increased over the past decade and are among the highest in Europe. However, it remains a much-misunderstood issue. This two-part course (both sessions run on the same day) will look at what comes under the umbrella of ‘self-harm’, exploring some of the many possible reasons why some people harm themselves. We will explore the role of professionals and services, discuss how someone who self-harms can reduce the risks, and look at the types of support which are useful. These sessions will be in the Microsoft Teams Meeting format, which means we will be able to see and hear each other, have group discussions, and share experiences and helpful tips. We will also be presenting slides and giving you suggested activities to complete between sessions. The sessions will run every Tuesday 12noon – 1pm throughout lockdown. Once you have registered your interest in the course, we will ask you to complete an online participation agreement. These sessions won’t be recorded, so you’ll need to take part live. 
Understanding Self-Harm Part 1 | 11am-12:30pm | Thursday 4th February 
Understanding Self-Harm Part 2 | 1:30pm-3pm | Thursday 4th February 
 
Mental Health Act: the basics  
 
A three-part course about the Mental Health Act (1983, amended 2007). During the first two sessions (run on the same day) we will support you to:  

• Explore the purpose and principles of the Mental Health Act. 
• Understand how and why someone may be detained for assessment and treatment using the Mental Health Act and what this experience is like for service users and carers. 
• Gain a better understanding of the rights of people being sectioned and the responsibilities of the health professionals, family members and advocates who might be involved in this process.  
• Learn about the role of mental health tribunals and how sections are lifted/ended.  
• Understand the steps that can be taken to plan for ill health and potentially prevent being admitted under the Mental Health Act. 

The third session will be a guide to Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) which will give you a basic overview of the advocate’s role. The right to an IMHA was introduced in 2007 under amendments to the 1983 Mental Health Act. This gave legal rights to IMHAs which are not available to other advocates. The session will help you to understand these rights.  
Mental Health Act Part 1 | 10:30am-11:30am | Tuesday 9th February 
Mental Health Act Part 2 | 2:00pm-3:00pm | Tuesday 9th February 
Mental Health Act Part 3: the advocate’s role | 10:30am-11:30am | Thursday 18th February 
 
Smoking and COVID-19 
In this webinar, run every two weeks, Mary Yates, Nurse Consultant in SLaM, outlines why it’s more important than ever before to quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic. She will give an overview of the best ways to quit and how to access support. She will also explain why some researchers think that nicotine (not smoking!) may help protect against COVID-19. This is a stand-alone session, repeated twice in February, so there’s no need to register for both. Although you can if you want to. 
Smoking and COVID-19 (1 of 1) | 11am-12noon | Wednesday 10th February 
Smoking and COVID-19 (1 of 1) | 11am-12noon | Wednesday 24th February 

Stretch, Breathe, Release 
A gentle session run every two weeks, for all levels and abilities, combining slow, gentle, movements with stretching. Mindful pauses and check-ins will help you to locate where you hold tension and stress in the body. Movement and breathwork will help you to release tension in these areas and you will learn what you can do in the moment to support well-being on a day to day basis. Our moving body is the most underused tool for well-being. This class will give you some practical ways to spot, and shift, tension in the body.It is suggested you wear loose clothing, have a relatively private place to engage with the session, and bring water or tea to keep you hydrated. Try only what you can and remember - there are no stupid questions.You are welcome to take part in every session (there will always be something new to learn) but, equally, you can just join for one session. 
Stretch, Breath, Release| 12noon-1pm |Thursday 11thFebruary  
Stretch, Breath, Release| 12noon-1pm |Thursday 25thFebruary 

Bereavement during lockdown: supporting ourselves and others while grieving | 2:30pm-3:30pm |Tuesday 16th February 
This stand-alone webinar gently leads us through the four phases (or ‘layers’) of mourning as described by John Bowlby, the founder of attachment theory. We will be thinking about, and sharing, ways of supporting the grieving process within the restrictions of the pandemic. We realise that, taking part in this session, you may recently have been bereaved, or know someone who has and would like to help them. Your emotional wellbeing at this sad time is of absolute importance to us. With this in mind, we ask you to let someone who you trust know that you will be doing this webinar - this person will be your support contact. When you join us, please keep your mobile beside you in case you need to call or text your support contact. Ask them to check how you are when you start watching, and also when it ends. Perhaps your contact might be able to join with you online. We want you to know that you are warmly welcome, and that you are not alone in your grief. 
 
Communication and Active Listening 
This two-part course explores what active listening is, looks at the benefits of active listening (including exploring its power to transform our conversations), and teaches how we can practice and hone our skills as empathetic listeners. 
Communication and Active Listening Part 1 | 10:30am-11:30am | Thursday 18th February 
Communication and Active Listening Part 2 | 10:30am-11:30am | Thursday 25th February 

New! Maintaining Wellbeing: staying positive 
The aim of this two-part course is to help you to reflect on the positive outlook and work out how you can bolster your own positivity. The impulse to dwell on the negatives is hard-wired into us, a hangover from humankind’s early days, when we had to be constantly on the alert. We know that the Covid-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on people’s mental health and acknowledge how hard it is for us to maintain our wellbeing during this time. But that doesn’t mean that being negative is an absolute. The situation we currently all find ourselves in is actually just the right time to begin focusing ourselves more towards the positive. Cultivating a positive outlook is possible for everyone, though it may take some work. You will be sent some work sheets before the course begins. Please do not worry, we will explain and guide you through completing these. 
Maintaining Wellbeing Part 1 | 2pm-3pm | Thursday 18th February 
Maintaining Wellbeing Part 2 | 2pm-3pm | Thursday 25th February 

New! Routines for Recovery 
Many studies have shown that establishing and maintaining routines filled with healthy habits is a great way towards meaningful recovery and wellbeing. In this new, three-part programme, we will learn about: 

• The importance of routine for our wellbeing 
• Useful tools for establishing and maintaining our routine 
• Overcoming the barriers to keeping our routine 

This is a ‘blended learning’ course, consisting of: 

• Two webinar sessions  
• An e-Learning programme (interactive, including quizzes, links, and activities that you can access at any time) 
• An online classroom (where we can get together on video chat and discuss our learning in a more personal way) 

The third session (run two weeks after the second one) will be in the Microsoft Teams Meeting format, which means we will be able to see and hear each other, have group discussions, and share experiences and helpful tips. You’ll be required to complete an online participation agreement. This session won’t be recorded, so you’ll need to take part live. 
Routines for Recovery Part 1 | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Monday 22nd February 
Routines for Recovery Part 2 | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Monday 1st March 
Routines for Recovery Part 3 | 2:30pm-3:30pm| Monday 15th March 
   
New! Spirituality and Wellbeing 
This three-part course will focus on a gentle exploration of participants’ spiritual values, world views, and guiding philosophies. It will look at how these are important for, and connected to, a sense of wellbeing. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on those elements that give meaning to their lives, and the ways that can be found to express what is of ultimate importance to them. The course will open up discussion on the relationship between spirituality and mental health as it is experienced in people’s everyday lives, and how this can contribute to recovery and healing. These sessions will be in the Microsoft Teams Meeting format, which means we will be able to see and hear each other, have group discussions, and share experiences and helpful tips. Once you have registered your interest in the course, we will ask you to complete an online participation agreement. These sessions won’t be recorded, so you’ll need to take part live. 
Spirituality and Wellbeing Part 1 | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Thursday 25th February 
Spirituality and Wellbeing Part 2 | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Thursday 4th March 
Spirituality and Wellbeing Part 3 | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Thursday 11th March 

FIRST TIME REGISTRATION, if you haven’t signed up to a webinar with us before (even if you are a SLaM Recovery College student): 
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SuTPoS5olUqOctA7m1iHqjpd3n-l3AxAj-8hQpHMfNlUOTVSM0pKUlNONzQzTktPWDFFUkNONFdBSC4u

RETURNING STUDENTS REGISTRATION, if you have already signed up to a webinar with us before: 
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SuTPoS5olUqOctA7m1iHqjpd3n-l3AxAj-8hQpHMfNlUNlhZS0I4SkY5V0U2WFA5NENXTUgySzVSVC4u

Please feel free to share this offer of free-to-view webinars with anyone who you think might benefit.

Visit our COVID_19 resources page for details of crisis support, covid-19 advice, online learning, online activities, and staying connected: https://www.slamrecoverycollege.co.uk/covid-19-resources.html  
 
With very best wishes,
 
The team at South London and Maudsley Recovery College
​

Hello Students, Colleagues and Friends,

Up until now we've been sending out our webinar offer on a weekly basis. From now on we will be issuing our timetable monthly, hopefully giving you a better chance to plan your diary. So here are the courses we'll be running during the rest of January. 

All these sessions are available to everyone, free of charge. You don’t need to be a SLaM Recovery College student or have any connection at all to South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. We just ask that you answer a few questions and let us know which sessions you’d like to be a part of, using one of the registration forms links below, and we’ll then send you links to the webinars you’ve chosen.

The great majority of our webinars are run as Live Events on the Microsoft Teams platform, meaning that you can join anonymously and will neither be seen nor heard. Instead, you interact by typing questions and comments into a Q&A panel. Occasionally we will run a course in a Meetings format for a limited group of students, where you will be seen and heard, but these will be clearly identified as such.
 
If you can't make a particular live event you can still enrol and use the link we'll send you to watch a recording later.

Daily Mindfulness
Every weekday morning (Monday 11th-Friday 29th January) from 10:30am to 11:15 am. We’ll send you all the links, but you can attend as many or as few as you’d like.  
 
Keeping Safe Online Parts 2 to 4 
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us have relied, much more than previously, on the internet to live our daily lives. Seeing and communicating with family and friends, our working lives, studying, shopping - all those activities we once took for granted - have shifted over to cyberspace: "we're living online now!"  This four-part course explores what we can do to protect our privacy, finances, and mental health when we go online. This course is recommended for people who already use personal email, social media and online shopping.  
Please note the different start times 
Part 2| 1pm-2pm | Monday 11th January 
Part 3| 1:15pm-2:15pm | Friday 15th January 
Part 4| 1pm-2pm | Monday 18th January 
 
Smoking and COVID-19 (1 of 1) | 11am-12noon | Wednesday 13th January and again on Wednesday 27th January 
In this one-off session, run every two weeks, Mary Yates, Nurse Consultant in SLaM, outlines why it’s more important than ever before to quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic. She will give an overview of the best ways to quit and how to access support. She will also explain why some researchers think that nicotine (NOT SMOKING!) may help protect against COVID-19. 
 
Eating Healthily to Look After Your Weight 
New Year resolutions made by people often revolve around eating more healthily and/or losing weight.  This course focuses on how to work towards a healthier lifestyle and diet.  Many of us struggle to understand the reasons why it is so hard to eat a healthy diet and to manage our weight.  We will explore what is effective healthy eating to support your physical and mental wellbeing. We will discuss the environmental and personal issues that affect our food choices. The second part of the course will outline how to monitor and measure weight, make dietary changes and consider broader lifestyle issues.  Setting realistic weight goals and developing sustainable and personal action plans will also be discussed. The course facilitators will be the Trust Head of Nutrition & Dietetic Services, a peer recovery trainer, and a practitioner trainer from the Recovery College. 
Part 1 | 2:30pm-3:30pm| Wednesday 13th January 
Part 2 | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Wednesday 20th January 
 
Moving Towards Self-Compassion 
This ten-part evening course explores the idea of self-compassion and how this can lead to a greater sense of self-acceptance and empathy with other people. Each week, we will explore a different topic, practise some self-compassion exercises then reflect on our experience. There will be pre-session and post-session activities which you can complete at home. We hope this course would be of interest to and benefit anyone who might struggle with perfectionism or self-criticism. We also warmly welcome anyone curious about this course, and who enjoys reflecting on what it means to be human. 
Part 1 | 6:30pm-7:30pm| Wednesday 13th January 
Part 2 | 6:30pm-7:30pm | Wednesday 20th January 
Part 3 | 6:30pm-7:30pm | Wednesday 20th January 
Then every Wednesday evening following, except that there will be a break of a few weeks between session 9 (10th March) and session 10 (31st March) 
 
Stretch, Breathe, Release (1 of 1) | 12noon-1pm | Thursday 14th January and again on Thursday 28th January  
A one-off session, run twice this month. A gentle session for all levels and abilities, combining slow, gentle, movements with stretching. Mindful pauses and check-ins will help you to locate where you hold tension and stress in the body. Movement and breathwork will help you to release tension in these areas and you will learn what you can do in the moment to support well-being on a day-to-day basis. Our body and our moving body is the most underused tool to well-being. This class will give you some practical ways to spot, and shift, tension in the body. It is suggested to wear loose clothing, have a relatively private place to engage with the session and bring a water or tea to keep you hydrated. Try what you can, there are no stupid questions. 
 
Introduction to Recovery Part 2 (of 2) | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Thursday 14th January 
Many people find being diagnosed with mental health difficulties devastating. Too often people feel that their life is over and that they will never be able to fulfil their dreams and ambitions or lead a satisfying and valued life. But it does not have to be this way. Whatever age a person is, whether they have only recently been diagnosed, or whether they have had a diagnosis for some time, recovery is possible, no matter how serious the person’s difficulties. It is possible for people to rebuild a meaningful, valued and satisfying life. This two-part course explores the impact of mental health difficulties on people’s lives, what helps people to grow within and beyond what has happened, and how they can rebuild their lives. 
 
Introduction to Beth: a new way for service users, carers and staff to communicate and collaborate (1 of 1)| 12noon-1pm | Tuesday 19th January 
For service users, Beth is very friendly and overall easy to use and supports personal choice and autonomy. You can link your Beth account with your NHS number to access your health records and:   

• see who is in your care team and support network  
• securely message your care team   
• access your current care plan  
• see all your appointments  
• keep track of your mood and sleep  
• use online free and trusted health resources  

For people caring for someone under SLaM services you can create your own account to look after your own wellbeing and securely message their care team.  
 
Living Through the Third Lockdown 
Now we are in Lockdown 3, understandable feelings of fatigue, frustration, uncertainty, and disappointment are shared by many people. All of this can make it harder to remain hopeful and resilient. We are offering a weekly session on Living with the Third Lockdown so we can support each other through these continuing challenges. We will be covering the following topics: 

• Keeping up hope 
• Meaningful routines 
• Maintaining relationships through online communication 
• What the vaccine means for us 
• Life after the pandemic 

These sessions will be in the Microsoft Teams Meeting format, which means we will be able to see and hear each other, have group discussions, and share experiences and helpful tips. We will also be presenting slides and giving you suggested activities to complete between sessions. The sessions will run every Tuesday 12 – 1pm (starting 19th January) throughout lockdown. Once you have registered your interest in the course, we will ask you to complete an online participation agreement. These sessions won’t be recorded, so you’ll need to take part live. 
Part 1 | 12noon-1pm | Tuesday 19th January 
Part 2 | 12noon-1pm | Tuesday 26th January 
Then every Tuesday thereafter during the lockdown. 
 
Caring During COVID-19 
A two-part course that focuses on the changes and challenges carers have experienced due to Covid-19. We will explore how the changes have affected carers in both inpatient and outpatient settings, share experiences, and look at how carers can cope with these new challenges. 
Part 1: the role of the carer during the COVID-19 pandemic | 11:30am-12:30pm | Wednesday 20th January 
Part 2: equipping yourself for caring during the COVID-19 pandemic | 11:30am-12:30pm | Wednesday 27th January 
 
Understanding and Managing the Impact of Isolation on Mental Health (1 of 1) | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Monday 25th January 
In this webinar, we will explore ways to cope with isolation and loneliness during the pandemic. We will be looking at how isolation can impact on different mental health conditions and what tools we can use to self-manage during this challenging time.   
 
Taking Control of My Psychosis Medication (1 of 1) | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Wednesday 27th January 
The session will discuss what medication can be taken to relieve psychotic symptoms and explore how we can find out objective information. We will also look at:  

• What the risks and benefits are to taking medication for psychosis which need to be considered and balanced carefully.  
• What our rights are and how we discuss the challenges of taking medication with a health professional  
• How we go about developing a personal action plan to take control of our medication ​

FIRST TIME REGISTRATION, if you haven’t signed up to a webinar with us before (even if you are a SLaM Recovery College student): 
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SuTPoS5olUqOctA7m1iHqjpd3n-l3AxAj-8hQpHMfNlUNjcyUkcyNkMySlM1Q0NUNUFKVTFRUkNYMS4u

RETURNING STUDENTS REGISTRATION, if you have already signed up to a webinar with us before: 
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SuTPoS5olUqOctA7m1iHqjpd3n-l3AxAj-8hQpHMfNlUQ1lZTDY2RjJOTjhMMExQSVRQVjIxUlNTMS4u

Please feel free to share this offer of free-to-view webinars with anyone who you think might benefit.

Visit our COVID_19 resources page for details of crisis support, covid-19 advice, online learning, online activities, and staying connected: https://www.slamrecoverycollege.co.uk/covid-19-resources.html 
 
With very best wishes,
 
The team at South London and Maudsley Recovery College
​

Hello Students, Colleagues and Friends,

Festive greetings to each and every one of you! Please see below for a message from our manager, Kirsty Giles.
 
For the first time, the Recovery College team is offering workshops during the festive season, recognising that this year may be even more difficult than usual for many of the people we support. We hope that those of you who do join us online over the next few weeks feel welcomed, encouraged, and have the opportunity to connect with other people during a time where physical connection is limited but our contact and connections are more important than ever. 

These sessions are available to everyone, free of charge. You don’t need to be a SLaM Recovery College student or have any connection at all to South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. We just ask that you answer a few questions and let us know which sessions you’d like to be a part of, using one of the registration forms links below, and we’ll then send you links to the webinars you’ve chosen.

The great majority of our webinars are run as Live Events on the Microsoft Teams platform, meaning that you can join anonymously and will neither be seen nor heard. Instead, you interact by typing questions and comments into a Q&A panel. Occasionally we will run a course in a Meetings format for a limited group of students, where you will be seen and heard, but these will be clearly identified as such.
 
If you can't make a particular live event you can still enrol and use the link we'll send you to watch a recording later on.

Daily Mindfulness (you can attend as many or as few as you’d like):  
Tuesday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Tuesday 29th December  
Wednesday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Wednesday 30th December  
Thursday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Thursday 31st December 
Monday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Monday 4th January  
Tuesday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Tuesday 5th January  
Wednesday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Wednesday 6th January  
Thursday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Thursday 7th January 
Friday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Friday 8th January  
  
Understanding the Impact of Substance Use on Mental Health 
This three-part course explores the use of substances (drugs and alcohol) and their impact on mental wellbeing. At times, using substances can appear to be a solution but it often has a longer-term impact on our wellbeing. During these sessions we will explore why this happens and what support is available to aid recovery.  
Part 1 | 12noon-1pm | Tuesday 29th December  
Part 2 | 12noon-1pm | Thursday 31st December 
Part 3 | 12noon-1pm | Wednesday 6th January  
  
Ayurveda Self-Massage 
Ayurveda, the “wisdom of life”, is a traditional system of healing from South Asia. These sessions were co-developed by Ayurveda experts in Sri Lanka and the UK, Buddhist scholars and monks in the Theravada tradition, UK registered mental health professionals, and SLaM Recovery Trainers who have direct lived experience of mental health problems. 
Part 1: self-massage for our hands | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Tuesday 29th December 
Part 2: self-massage for our feet | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Wednesday 30th December  
  
Stretch, Breath, Release| 12noon-1pm | Wednesday 30th December  
A gentle session for all levels and abilities, combining slow, gentle, movements with stretching. Mindful pauses and check-ins will help you to locate where you hold tension and stress in the body. Movement and breathwork will help you to release tension in these areas and you will learn what you can do in the moment to support well-being on a day to day basis. Our body and our moving body is the most underused tool to well-being. This class will give you some practical ways to spot, and shift, tension in the body. It is suggested to wear loose clothing, have a relatively private place to engage with the session and bring a water or tea to keep you hydrated. Try what you can, there are no stupid questions. 
 
Introduction to Beth: a new way for service users, carers and staff to communicate and collaborate | 12noon-1pm | Tuesday 5th January 
For service users, Beth is very friendly and overall easy to use and supports personal choice and autonomy. You can link your Beth account with your NHS number to access your health records and:   

• see who is in your care team and support network  
• securely message your care team   
• access your current care plan  
• see all your appointments  
• keep track of your mood and sleep  
• use online free and trusted health resources  

For people caring for someone under SLaM services you can create your own account to look after your own wellbeing and securely message their care team.  
 
Introduction to Recovery Part 1 (of 2) | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Thursday 7th January 
Many people find being diagnosed with mental health difficulties devastating. Too often people feel that their life is over and that they will never be able to fulfil their dreams and ambitions or lead a satisfying and valued life.But it does not have to be this way. Whatever age a person is, whether they have only recently been diagnosed, or whether they have had a diagnosis for some time, recovery is possible, no matter how serious the person’s difficulties. It is possible for people to rebuild a meaningful, valued and satisfying life. This two-part course explores the impact of mental health difficulties on people’s lives, what helps people to grow within and beyond what has happened, and how they can rebuild their lives. Date for the second session is 14th January, at 2:30pm. 
 
Keeping Safe Online Part 1 (of 4) | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Friday 8th January 
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us have relied, much more than previously, on the internet to live our daily lives. Seeing and communicating with family and friends, our working lives, studying, shopping - all those activities we once took for granted - have shifted over to cyberspace: "we're living online now!"  This four-part course explores what we can do to protect our privacy, finances, and mental health when we go online. This course is recommended for people who already use personal email, social media and online shopping.  
Dates for the other three sessions are: 11th, 15th and 18th January, all at 2:30pm. 

FIRST TIME REGISTRATION, if you haven’t signed up to a webinar with us before (even if you are a SLaM Recovery College student): 
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SuTPoS5olUqOctA7m1iHqgmyKPB4GLVHori7bpbnOyxUN1NOREg0UkdRSjg5N0JYQ1lBME4wMzJBTCQlQCN0PWcu

RETURNING STUDENTS REGISTRATION, if you have already signed up to a webinar with us before: 
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SuTPoS5olUqOctA7m1iHqgmyKPB4GLVHori7bpbnOyxUMkFTN01HRFU5RllNV05NNVRLVVBIVlRPUiQlQCN0PWcu

Please feel free to share this offer of free-to-view webinars with anyone who you think might benefit.

Visit our COVID_19 resources page for details of crisis support, covid-19 advice, online learning, online activities, and staying connected: https://www.slamrecoverycollege.co.uk/covid-19-resources.html  
 
With very best holiday wishes,
 
The team at South London and Maudsley Recovery College

Dear Students, Friends and colleagues of SLaM Recovery College,
 
By the time you receive this message, I hope that you have had an enjoyable and safe start to the festive season after a long and challenging year for us all.
 
2020 has not been the year anyone would have expected back in February when we started the Spring term. I want to acknowledge the incredible effort the Recovery College team have put into developing an online service in the face of significant challenges.  The quick turnaround from a classroom-based service to a virtual college within a month is testimony to the commitment the team put into ensuring we could continue to support our students during a time where everything felt so uncertain. This learning was shared widely with other services and staff across the trust and with our recovery college colleagues across the UK and beyond, reflecting the generosity of spirit that exists within the recovery college world. 
 
Each member of the team has had to adapt their working life at a time when their home lives have also been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.  I am incredibly proud to lead such a dynamic, creative, enthusiastic and caring team who have put the very different needs of our students this year, at the forefront of everything they do.  The recovery college team have all been working from home since March, so we look forward to a time when it is safe to meet with one another and students again.  We recognise that delivering our courses and workshops online isn’t the same as being together in the classroom, where our students are often teaching one another and sharing their knowledge with our team too.  However, we have appreciated the feedback that students have given us about the team adapting and offering a different type of recovery college.
 
For the first time, the Recovery College team is offering workshops during the festive season, recognising that this year may be even more difficult than usual for many of the people we support. We hope that those of you who do join us online over the next few weeks feel welcomed, encouraged and have the opportunity to connect with other people during a time where physical connection is limited but our contact and connections are more important than ever.
 
While we all really want to get back to face-to-face classroom teaching as soon as possible, we have reflected on some of the positives the pandemic has unexpectedly given us:
 

• an online service that we will continue to offer when the needs for social distancing reduces and we are able to access our teaching venues
• a new set of skills and confidence in developing and teaching online webinars and courses
• an e-learning package in development where students can access short online courses in their own time
• the ability to offer coproduced wellbeing education to anyone, anywhere who wants to take part
• and probably most importantly, being able to reach a significant number of students using digital technology who may not have had the confidence to join us in our face to face classroom-based workshops in the past. 

 
Although 2020 has not been a year we will remember fondly, I hope that everyone who has joined the recovery college online as a student has taken away messages of ‘hope, control and opportunity’ from the workshops and courses to support their wellbeing and journey during the pandemic.  As a team, we wish you a healthy and safe start to the new year and we look forward to celebrating with you when we are able to return to our classroom venues.
 
With very best wishes,
Kirsty and the Recovery College team

Hello Students, Colleagues and Friends,

We understand how difficult a time this is for everybody, and particularly for people who experience long term health conditions. As SLaM Recovery College is unable to offer any classroom-based workshops now, our team has been working behind the scenes to develop online content, including vlogs, webinars and e-learning. These sessions are available to everyone, free of charge. You don’t need to be a SLaM Recovery College student or have any connection at all to South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. We just ask that you answer a few questions and let us know which sessions you’d like to be a part of, using one of the registration forms links below, and we’ll then send you links to the webinars you’ve chosen.

N.B. The great majority of our webinars are run as Live Events on the Microsoft Teams platform, meaning that you can join anonymously and will neither be seen nor heard. Instead, you interact by typing questions and comments into a Q&A panel. Occasionally we will run a course in a Meetings format for a limited group of students, where you will be seen and heard, but these will be clearly identified as such.
 
Every Friday we will email you the details of the online learning we are offering in the following week. N.B. If you can't make a particular live event you can still enrol and use the link we'll send you to watch a recording later on.

Daily Mindfulness (you can attend as many or as few as you’d like):  
Monday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Monday 21st December  
Tuesday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Tuesday 22nd December  
Wednesday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Wednesday 23rd December  
Thursday Mindfulness | 10:30am-11:15am | Thursday 24th December  
 
NEW!! Coping with the Winter and Festive Period | 2:30pm-3:30pm | Tuesday 22nd December 
Wintertime can be an especially difficult period for those who experience mental ill-health. In this webinar, we will share ideas on how we can look after ourselves and those we care for during the winter and festive period.  
 
NEW!! Stretch, Breath, Release| 12noon-1pm | Wednesday 23rd December  
A gentle session for all levels and abilities, combining slow, gentle, movements with stretching. Mindful pauses and check-ins will help you to locate where you hold tension and stress in the body. Movement and breathwork will help you to release tension in these areas and you will learn what you can do in the moment to support well-being on a day to day basis. Our body and our moving body is the most underused tool to well-being. This class will give you some practical ways to spot, and shift, tension in the body. It is suggested to wear loose clothing, have a relatively private place to engage with the session and bring a water or tea to keep you hydrated. Try what you can, there are no stupid questions. 
 
NEW!! Motivation (two-part course) 
How do you get out of your head and stop thinking about what you do and start doing it? 
This new, two-part webinar explores what holds us back from utilizing our motivation, what environment best harnesses our motivation, and looks at the reality of motivation in terms of its role in our daily lives. This webinar provides tips that help launch us into action and explains the theory that helps us to close the gap between what you know you want to do and taking action to make it happen. 
Part 1| 2:30pm-3:30pm | Wednesday 23rd December  
Part 2| 2:30pm-3:30pm | Thursday 24th December  
 
NEW!! Can You Learn to be Happy? Part 1 (of 2) | 11:30am-12:30pm | Thursday 24th December  
This has been a really challenging year. Many of us have had to dig deep and do something differently to survive emotionally. It’s not been easy. Yet we are at that point in the year which is traditionally associated with joy and celebration. During this two-part course, based on readings (from the book Happier: Can you learn to be Happy? by Tal Ben-Shahar) and group discussion, we will be discussing that elusive thing ‘happiness’, at a time when many people will be feeling that happiness is beyond their grasp. N.B. The two sessions will be run in the Teams Meeting format, meaning you will be seen and heard by other participants, and you will be asked to complete a participation agreement regarding confidentiality. There will be 25 places available, with successful students chosen randomly from those who apply (Monday 21st 5pm deadline). 

FIRST TIME REGISTRATION, if you haven’t signed up to a webinar with us before (even if you are a SLaM Recovery College student): 
​https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SuTPoS5olUqOctA7m1iHqgmyKPB4GLVHori7bpbnOyxUMFZDMThQUjNWUFBQSEc4T1Q3MThJTDhRNyQlQCN0PWcu

RETURNING STUDENTS REGISTRATION, if you have already signed up to a webinar with us before: ​

​https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SuTPoS5olUqOctA7m1iHqgmyKPB4GLVHori7bpbnOyxUOVhHVVBUVVpPSkc5S0s4M1RNSUJZVDE0UiQlQCN0PWcu

Please feel free to share this offer of free-to-view webinars with anyone who you think might benefit.

Visit our COVID_19 resources page for details of crisis support, covid-19 advice, online learning, online activities, and staying connected: https://www.slamrecoverycollege.co.uk/covid-19-resources.html  
 
With very best wishes,
 
The team at South London and Maudsley Recovery College
​