WHO WE ARE

Family Resource Centres provide universal supports to individuals and families across the lifecourse. They are the only national programme that offers such a drop-in service to the public and as a result are presented with a wide range of social issues, and oftentimes underpinning this is mental health difficulties.

Our project is dedicated to providing education, training and support to staff and volunteers of all 121 Family Resource Centres, which will have a positive impact on their own mental health and the mental health of the communities they work in.

4 Key areas of work:

• Promoting Social Connectedness

• Promoting Community Resilience

• Providing Pathways to Care

• Combating Stigma

The project, which is funded by the National Office for Suicide Prevention and Tusla, promotes a shared responsibility and a shared response to the action of suicide and endeavours to raise awareness and reduce stigma associated with mental health. The project works in partnership with HSE Suicide Prevention Resource Officers nationally to deliver Suicide Prevention Code of Practice Training and to support the implementation of Connecting For Life- Ireland’s strategy for reduce suicide 2015-2020.

The project strives towards utilising the strengths and resilience of communities to create awareness, educate, break down barriers, and offer solutions to the complex issue, which is mental health. Prevention can be supported through training, guidance, building relationships and consolidating supports.

WHAT WE DO

SUICIDE PREVENTION CODE OF PRACTICE TRAINING

This is a one day training events for core staff of Family Resource Centres (FRCs).

The Code of Practice for Suicide Prevention in FRCs provides guidance for staff members, volunteers and members of voluntary management committees on how to identify warning signs and support people who feel suicidal.

The workshop gives participants an understanding of suicide prevention in Ireland, the guidelines for FRC staff contained in the Code of Practice, and offers help around how to use the Code of Practice within FRCS.

SELF-CARE

This is a one day training event for all staff of FRCs.

This training provides front line workers with a safety system when caring for others and aims to recognise the importance of the mental health of staff in FRCs.

It allows individuals to attend a quiet safe space where they can relate to other professionals in the room and be able to accept the challenging field they work in, while also willing to strengthen their resilience. Improve wellbeing and productivity.

The training provides participants with the opportunity to identify their own self-care needs in different areas of their life (personal, professional, physical, emotional, social, spiritual) and identify action steps for them to focus on.

Participants will have an opportunity to learn mindfulness, relaxation and self-care practices that can be incorporated into their daily routine.

SOCIAL PRESCRIBING

Health and Wellbeing Community Referral

Social connections have long been recognised as an important protective factor in maintaining good physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, across the lifecourse. The mental Health Project is the lead and support organisation for 6 new Health and Wellbeing Community Referral Sites in Cork and Kerry. This is in partnership with Cork/Kerry HSE Health and Wellbeing and Community Healthcare. Social prescribing is a way of linking people with sources of support within their communities. It provides GPs and other primary care professionals with non-medical referral options to improve health and wellbeing. This project is funded through Slaintecare Integration Fund 2019.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Website: www.familyresourcementalhealth.ie

Facebook: National FRC Mental Health Promotion Project

Twitter: National FRC Mental Health Promotion Project @FrcHealth

Telephone: (091) 429624

Project Manager: Shauna Diamond support@frcmentalhealthpromotion.ie

Mental Health Training Support Worker: Grace McGee training@frcmentalhealthpromotion.ie

Administrator: Fiona Buckley admin@frcmentalhealthpromotion.ie