A brief history
Association of Mental Health Providers, formerly known as the Mental Health Providers Forum (MHPF), is the only national representative organisation for voluntary, community, and social enterprise providers of mental health and wellbeing services.
est. 2005
Working local, regionally, and nationally, the Mental Health Providers Forum was created jointly by VCSE provider organisations to amplify the voices of the sector in mental health service provision and influence practice and policy. Supported by funding from Department of Health, the organisation started with just 13 members including Mind, Rethink Mental Illness, and Turning Point.
2008
In partnership with Triangle Consulting, we worked with service users and our members to develop the Mental Health Recovery Star – an outcomes measure which enables people using services to measure their own recovery progress, with the help of mental health workers or others. The model continues to be used by both VCSE and statutory mental health services nationally and internationally.
2010
We joined the Third Sector Strategic Partnership Programme, later renamed as the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance, leading a collaborative of voluntary mental health organisations as the Mental Health Consortium. Over a decade later, we continue to work with system partners and 20 other organisations in the health and social care sector to facilitate integrated working between voluntary and statutory services, coproduce solutions to reduce health inequalities, and inform policy.
2011
Bringing the views of VCSE mental health service providers into national policy and strategic discussions, we worked closely with members to inform and implement the 2011 No Health Without Mental Health cross-government strategy. Recognising the urgent need for coordinated action, we pledged to work collaboratively with organisations in the sector to deliver the shared objectives in the outcomes strategy.
2011 – 2021
We have cemented our position in the mental health sector. We’ve worked with members, partners, and key stakeholders to produce mental health focused reports on prevention, physical health, women, and BME communities. We sit on key national boards and steering groups to advise System Partners. We have informed and influenced the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, NHS Long Term Plan, Independent Review of the Mental Health Act, Prevention Green Paper, Social Care Sector COVID-19 Support Taskforce, and Winter Plan for Mental Health. Our members are doing critical work and we must continue to champion the sector.
2012
Following a period of consultancy, Kathy Roberts joined the organisation as our CEO and, since taking up the mantle, has strived to amplify the voice of the VCSE sector and the people who use its services in national policy and strategy. Kathy has championed the need for whole-person and whole-system approaches to the design, development, and delivery of services; and has been an advocate for true coproduction in all areas of our work.
2017
From MHPF to Association of Mental Health Providers – to better reflect the work of our members and the strategic role that we play in influencing change and policy, we changed our name, logo, and website – giving ourselves a full rebrand. An important stage in the evolution of our organisation, the rebrand allowed us to be more than just a forum – we became the go-to umbrella organisation for mental health providers in the VCSE sector.
2020
A year like no other in the short history of our organisation! The Covid-19 pandemic and the wave of anti-racism protests – two seismic events that changed the way we live, work, think and act. We adapted and we became more responsive to our members and to the people who use their services. We strengthened our relationships with our members, began new member-led workstreams, and launched two major programmes to support the sustainability of the VCSE mental health provider sector.
Today…
With a membership of over 200 organisations, we are recognised as the leading voice of the VCSE mental health provider sector – we’re driving change in policy and practice, and supporting providers to deliver services to over 8m people in the community.