Around since 1923, SAMH is Scotland’s national mental health charity. Sam's Fife is a SAMH project...

Scottish Action for Mental Health.

The Sam's team are available to answer any questions or explain about Sam's drop-ins. You are welcome to phone for information or access Sam's info point on Fridays 3.00pm-4.30pm at Greener Kirkcaldy, 8 East Fergus Place, Kirkcaldy.

Q.  Is Sam's Fife a working cafe?

A.  The reference to cafe is in terms of a recovery cafe model rather than a working cafe. The recovery cafe model is a relaxed, informal space for accessing support. At Sam's Fife we offer peer support alongside a free cup of tea/coffee.

Q.  Do I have to share a lot of information or sign paperwork when I attend Sam's Fife?

A.  There is no paperwork that you have to sign, no questions about personal history or questions about any diagnosis. At Sam's Fife we ask for an attendee's name. postcode and house number at start of Sam's Fife support, each occasion an attendee accesses Sam's Fife for support...for safeguarding purposes.

Q.  I am really anxious about attending for the first time, is there any support Sam's Fife can offer?

A.  Yes, you are welcome to phone a Sam's Fife location to chat about attending Sam's Fife. You are welcome to attend Sam's info point on a Friday, 3.00pm-4.30pm at Greener Kirkcaldy, 8 East Fergus Place, Kirkcaldy, KY1 1XT. The info point is available as soon as you enter building. This is an opportunity to chat and learn more about Sam's Fife.

Q.  Is it counselling that Sam's Fife offers?

A.  Mental health peer support is offered at Sam's Fife, peers reflect and use their own lived experience of mental health issues and a recovery journey to role model approaches for wellbeing. Sam's Fife peers role model that people can move through mental health issues and move forward with hope, strategies for wellbeing and knowledge through the Sam's Fife peers sharing lived journey experience. Sam's Fife have developed resources to support people that attend Sam's Fife.

Q.  What qualifications/ training do Sam's Fife peer workers have?

A.  At Sam's Fife the peer workers all have their own unique journey of lived experience of mental health issues and a recovery journey. The Sam's Fife peer workers access induction, orientation, learning, training and development through SAMH (the Scottish Action for Mental Health) This includes suicide intervention skills training, mental health training, continuous SAMH development frame work, PDA (Professional Development Award) in Mental Health Peer Support, SVQ's in community sector specific learning. 

*Most importantly each Sam's Fife team member has experience of the journey of mental health issues and the majority of this learning can not be learned through a book, course or training...it has to be lived and experienced to be fully understood.

Q.  Will I access support from the same Sam's Fife peer worker every time I attend?

A.  Sam's Fife have a team of peer workers available across Fife, attendees are not allocated one peer worker at Sam's Fife. Sam's Fife is a team approach and each team member supports within a framework of Sam's Fife peer competencies and a professional sector registration...to ensure that Sam's provides consistent peer support.

Q.  Is Sam's Fife a support group?         

A.  Not a group support...Sam's Fife offers one-to-one peer support.

Q.  Can I attend Sam's Fife with a friend/family member/support worker?

A.  Yes.

Q.  My family member/friend is under 16 years old, can they attend Sam's Fife?

A. Sam's Fife supports people aged 16 years plus (and no longer in school education) an adult support project.

Q.  Is there a cost to access Sam's Fife?

A.  Sam's Fife is a free of cost project...there is no cost to access Sam's Fife. Tea/coffee is provided free of cost for attendees.

Q.  Will I have to wait to be supported when I drop-in to Sam's Fife?

A.  You will be supported into Sam's Fife by a peer, offered a cup of tea/coffee and offered a seat straight away. If Sam's Fife team members are supporting attendees, there is a relaxed space with Sam's magazines, local information and access to teas/coffees until you access peer support. Peer support is offered promptly at Sam's Fife.

Q. Is there a set amount of occasions that I can attend Sam's Fife?

A.  There are no set amount of occasions for attending Sam's Fife. 

Q.  Can I feedback about Sam's Fife?

A.  There is a feedback form that is available after you attend Sam's Fife and there is also a feedback form on Sam's Fife website. (no personal details collected on any feedback)

Q.  When did Sam's Fife start?

A.  Sam's started in Fife in 2019. The organisation that employs the Sam's Fife peer workers- SAMH (the Scottish Action for Mental Health) was established in 1923.

The peer team at Sam's Fife develop original peer-led wellbeing worksheets and meaning/purpose packs. Alongside this, there are peer developed suicide prevention resources including the Sam's Fife safe plan. These resources have all been developed from the perspective of lived experience of Sam's Fife peers and attendee feedback.