Staff Mental Health Hub

“I was listened to, guided into a different way of thinking while being given tools to use when I do need help. This is such a valuable important service we as staff are being offered and if you’re willing to let it, it will make such a difference.” 

“Accessing the service was really easy and my assessment and treatment sessions were done in a timely way.” 

“I cannot thank the service enough - very short wait time to make contact, excellent therapist who listened and treated me with great respect- she helped me work out what I need and want as well as suggesting several services for onward help. An excellent service which I have recommended without hesitation to colleagues.” 

“The therapy sessions were insightful and tailored to my needs, empowering me with coping strategies and tools for managing my mental health.”

The team at the Staff Mental Health Hub is here to support you.

Jessica Jackson

Senior Psychological Practitioner

Jess is trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which is used to support people experiencing difficulties such as depression, anxiety, phobias, social anxiety, PTSD, health anxiety, and OCD. She has an interest in working with social anxiety, burnout, and worry. She has experience of working in an NHS Talking Therapies service. Jess is a BABCP (CBT) Accredited Practitioner and has a PGdip in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Joanne Gill

Consultant Clinical Lead Psychologist

Jo has worked in Birmingham Mental Health services for over 35 years, in a range of teams and services. She has experience of clinically leading and managing a variety of services and is presently the Clinical Lead Consultant for the Staff Mental Health Hub. Jo collaboratively set up the Staff Hub service in 2021 and has worked in partnership with our commissioners to ensure its continued funding. Clinically, Jo is a BABCP (CBT) Accredited Practitioner and is a visiting lecturer at the University of Birmingham.

Carly Ray

Secretary

Carly is the Team Secretary and works part-time for the Staff Mental Health Hub. Her main responsibility is to support the team to ensure the service runs efficiently. She leads on maintaining and developing the Clinical Information systems for the team. Carly has worked for the NHS since 2001 and in Mental Health Services for the last 15 years.

Dr Melanie Snape

Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Mel is one of the Consultant clinicians in the team. With more than 30 years of NHS service across a range of Mental Health Services, Mel has worked in the Staff Mental Health Hub since it first opened. She works two days a week, leading the work with BWCH, Social Care and the team’s clinical effectiveness. Mel is a BABCP (CBT) Accredited Practitioner and also works at the University of Birmingham.

Sophie Abatis

Senior Psychological Therapist

Sophie is a BABCP (CBT) Accredited Practitioner who provides assessment and short-term interventions. Sophie has worked in primary care psychological services for 16 years, working with adults with common mental health problems. Sophie has a PGdip in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and is also trained in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy. She has special interest in compassionate approaches to manage stress, burn-out and low self-esteem.

Dr Anna Regan

Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Anna is one of the Consultant clinicians for the service. She also is responsible for ensuring our service is known and accessed by colleagues in the acute sector (UHB, ROH, BCHC) and ICB and BSMHFT. Even before qualifying in 2005, she has maintained a keen interest in the support of staff, and its association with good patient outcomes and organisational effectiveness. She has additional training in Compassion Focused Therapy and in the supervision of trainee clinical psychologists.

Louise Gale

Counsellor

Louise is a counsellor for the team working full time, providing assessments, and counselling for the staff population. Louise also leads on promotional events for the Hub. Louise’s experience involves offering counselling to individuals for over 25 years. She worked for many years in education, as well as services like Relate and the NHS. She has helped support people from various backgrounds and ages with various presented problems. Louise is educated to Masters level in Counselling and Psychotherapy and is an accredited member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP).

Molly Simpson

Assistant Psychologist

Molly is an Assistant Psychologist and is responsible for triaging calls and supporting individuals as they take their first steps to access the service. She is also involved in service evaluation and promotional work. She has worked in the NHS for two years, with previous roles focused on supporting staff with their mental health – an area she is passionate about. Her interests include improving access to psychological support and helping staff to feel confident in reaching out for help. She holds a degree in Psychology with a Professional Placement Year from a BPS-accredited university.

The Staff Mental Health Hub offers a range of psychological interventions tailored to your needs. These approaches are grounded in evidence and delivered by trained professionals through confidential, compassionate support. 

Whether you’re looking to understand what counselling involves, learn more about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), or explore how psychological approaches can help – the resources below can guide you:

• What to expect from counselling
• How CBT works and how it can help
• What are integrative psychological interventions?

Appointments are via telephone or videocall. Face-to-face appointments can also be offered. All contact is free and confidential. Information on your care will be recorded on the Hub’s confidential patient information system Information may be shared about your care with your GP if you or someone around you is at risk of harm.

We will work with you and adapt how we work to meet your individual needs – whoever you are and whatever your circumstances. As long as you work in health and social care within Birmingham and Solihull’s Integrated Care System, everyone is welcome. Our support is inclusive, respectful, and built around you.  

Please note: If you are receiving support from other mental health services, the Hub does not duplicate this support and the Staff Mental Health Hub is not a crisis service.
 

Men can face unique challenges when it comes to talking about and accessing mental health support. Stigma, cultural expectations, and pressures to appear “strong” can sometimes make it harder to ask for help.

Download our Men's Mental Health Leaflet.

Watch our Webinar: “Supporting Men’s Mental Health in the Workplace”

In this webinar, we explore:

• Why men’s mental health is important.
• Barriers that might stop men from reaching out.
• Signs it might be time to seek support.
• Strategies for self-care and resilience.
• How we can all help break the stigma.
• What support is available from the Staff Mental Health Hub.

If a staff member needs mental health support, please encourage them to refer themselves directly to the Staff Mental Health Hub. We see much better engagement and outcomes when individuals take that first step on their own. For this reason, we ask that managers and service leads signpost staff to our service rather than making referrals on their behalf.

Compassionate leadership

Compassionate leadership is an approach that promotes self-care, supports wellbeing, and creates a positive, psychologically safe workplace culture. It goes beyond managing tasks to fostering an environment where people feel valued, understood, and supported. Leaders who embody compassion build trust, encourage open communication, and help teams to thrive even during challenging times. 

You can learn more about compassionate leadership here.

• Mindfulness information