Off the Record (Bristol)

OTR provides free mental health info and support to young people in Bristol and South Glos.We exist to support, promote and defend the mental health, rights and social position of young people. We believe that mental health should be about the study of situations, not just individuals. And so we don’t just deliver services, we also mobilise, politicise and campaign with young people for structural reform and the transformation of service delivery. Fundamentally, we believe mental health is an issue of social justice. We do this across six programmes of work:Specialist therapeutic support for young people. From our NHS accredited talking therapies to our outreach and student counselling services, art therapy, occupational therapy and therapeutic social work; we offer a wide variety of personalised one-to-one and group based psychological and emotional support that is free and accessible by self referral.Psychological education. We do a lot of work teaching young people about healthy stress management and self help through our online and youth-led project, The Resilience Lab.Specialist youth work. We target community engagement and development at disadvantaged groups of young people who may be more likely to experience poorer mental health because of social and personal circumstances. We have dedicated youth workers for Black and Minority Ethnic, as well as LGBTQ+.Social action projects led by young people. Our social action work invariably challenges stigma and inequality. It is based on a model of Participatory Action Research that helps young people make connections between the personal and political in the world around them.Training for parents and professionals in youth mental health - co-delivered with young people.Research and teaching. Our staff teach at universities, publish original research and supervise students on placement. We’re keen to shape the practice of future generations of mental health professionals.