The Revised Mental Health Act 1983 Code of Practice for Wales becomes extant today. As well as providing guidance for professionals, the Code of practice also provides information for patients, their families and carers.

First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones has prioritised mental health in his Government’s five year plan, ‘Taking Wales Forward’. Among the Welsh Government’s key commitments are to “prioritise mental health treatment, support, prevention and de-escalation, and increase access to talking therapies”.

A new report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission suggests that people with mental health issues and social or behavioural impairments experience higher levels of crime.

Hafal’s new “Clic” online community launches at an event at Castle Gardens, Swansea next Wednesday (14th September, 11:30 – 15:00). The new, bilingual online community has been developed by people with direct experience of a mental illness in partnership with Hafal and the National Centre for Mental Health, and is funded by Big Lottery Wales.

Time to Change Wales is today (7th September) launching a new campaign to encourage members of the public to reach out to friends, family members and colleagues who are living with mental health problems. Emphasising the message that you don’t need to be an expert to talk about mental health, the Reach Out campaign illustrates how small things can make a big difference to people’s mental health, wellbeing and recovery.

Welsh mental health charity Hafal has announced that it is joining up with carers’ charity Crossroads Care Mid & West Wales to form one organisation. The two charities are already working closely together and propose to merge formally on 1 April 2017.

The Mental Health Foundation has published a new paper to support the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s anti-poverty strategy.

The Autumn 2016 edition of the Mental Health Wales journal is now online and it’s a physical health special.

The Welsh mental health arts festival is back for a second year! Organised by Disability Arts Cymru, Ynys Môn and Gwynedd Mind and Making Minds, the festival will see a number of events take place, around Wales, this October and November.

New CIPD research finds employers are taking a reactive approach to employees’ mental health issues, when preventative steps make better business sense.