This week, from 12 to 18 May, we join thousands of people and organisations across the UK in recognising Mental Health Awareness Week 2025. Led by the Mental Health Foundation, this year’s theme of ‘community’ resonates deeply with us at AKA Case Management.
Community is not just something we talk about—it is something we live every day.
As specialists in case management for individuals with acquired brain injuries and complex needs, we have seen time and again how the right support network can make all the difference. When someone is navigating the long road to recovery, the community becomes the anchor. It offers consistency, care, and connection—vital ingredients for healing and hope.
A shared sense of purpose
At AKA, community means more than proximity or familiarity; it means belonging. Our case managers work closely with clients and their families, building relationships based on trust, respect, and understanding. Every plan we develop and goal we set is shaped with the wider support circle in mind.
Case management is all about supporting others. As Dawn Abernethy, Director, stated, ‘It’s a challenging field we work in, and being faced with adversity every day can quickly take its toll if we don’t look after ourselves. It’s also important that we support each other. This is often something as simple as just being there to listen.’
Within our organisation we put a lot of emphasis on ‘people first, work second’ as explained by Andrew Rose, Director ‘In our industry the focus is on caring for our clients and historically I think that this has meant that case managers are expected to forget about themselves. But how can we give the best of ourselves if we are exhausted and burnt out? To truly care about others, we need to care about ourselves first. None of us is invincible, and we all have our breaking points. At AKA, we really care about our case managers and work hard to focus on wellbeing and rest to ensure that people never find out what those are.”
Supporting our clients
Sarah Longshaw, Assistant Case Manager, told us ‘In my experience working with clients and their families, being part of a community plays a vital role in helping them cope with the challenges they face. For parents in particular, connecting with others going through similar situations offers emotional support that is sometimes more accessible and effective than formal psychological help. It gives them a sense of not being alone and allows them to share experiences in a way that feels natural and supportive.’
We also know that community matters to our team. Peer support, shared learning, and space to talk openly about mental health are essential to our work. We cannot care for others if we do not care for ourselves and each other.
Looking forward together
As we mark this important week, we are proud to stand with others championing mental health and building more compassionate communities. We are reminded that healing is not just a personal journey but a collective one.
Let us keep creating spaces where people feel seen, heard and valued. Let us build communities that lift each other up.
Because together, we are stronger.