The Yorkshire Autism AIM Mental Health Equity Project are to start running mental health peer support groups for autistic adults. Beginning in June, they will run two groups each month. One will be in person and the other will be on Zoom.

All of the twice-monthly groups will be facilitated by two autistic members of the Yorkshire Autism AIM staff team. Each session will have a focus on mental health and offer group members a chance to share their feelings, give and receive mutual support.

What are the groups about?

The groups are a place for autistic adults to get support and understanding from others with similar experiences by exploring what may otherwise feel unsafe in a non-judgemental way. These groups are a place that allow members to:

  • Share experiences of mental health and mental health services
  • Look at what we have gained from our experiences
  • Empower one another to find and engage with resources and services

To join the groups, you must be an autistic adult (aged 18 and over) and live in the Leeds City Council area. Future groups will be set up for autistic adults in other parts of West Yorkshire, starting next year.

When are the groups?

The in-person groups will be on the first Tuesday of every month from 6pm-7pm. They will be at the Lovell Park Hub, Wintoun Street, Leeds LS7 1DA.

Here is a list of dates for the in-person groups:

  • Tuesday 7th June
  • Tuesday 5th July
  • Tuesday 2nd August
  • Tuesday 6th September
  • Tuesday 4th October
  • Tuesday 1st November
  • Tuesday 6th December

The Zoom groups are on the third Tuesday of every month, taking place from 6pm-7pm on the following dates:

  • Tuesday 21st June
  • Tuesday 19th July
  • Tuesday 16th August
  • Tuesday 20th September
  • Tuesday 18th October
  • Tuesday 15th November
  • Tuesday 20th December

How to join

If you would like to join the groups, please make a referral to Leeds Autism AIM at https://tinyurl.com/leedsautismaim. Then, they will add you to a mailing list where they will send on the details of each group the day before it starts.