For World Mental Health Day 2022, help us to make mental health and wellbeing a priority for all.

For too long, the mental health of people in Northern Ireland has been underfunded and undervalued.

A recent report by London School of Economics and Political Science and the Mental Health Foundation calculated that the economic cost of poor mental health in Northern Ireland to be a staggering £3.4 billion annually. However, currently only around £150 million annually is allocated to mental health through the Department of health.

Given the impact of the COVID pandemic and the cost of living crisis, it’s never been more important to prioritise the mental health of our population. Urgent action needs to be taken to address the shortfall in the Mental Health investment in Northern Ireland, to ensure the vision outlined in the Mental Health Strategy becomes a reality.

Issues for core mental health services are being compounded by the loss of European funding. The current European Social Fund (ESF) programme ends in March 2023. The situation has now reached a “critical cliff edge” as there is no clear idea how the ESF money will be replaced. Organisations such as Action Mental Health rely on this funding to provide critical mental health services which offer referral pathways to support the statutory mental health sector.

It has become apparent that the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund will not sufficiently fill the funding gap that will be left for Action Mental health and 21 other disability providers, supporting some of the most vulnerable in our society.

We truly are at a critical juncture, and that’s why on World Mental Health Day, we’re calling for urgent action on these three priorities:

1. Replace ESF funding, now! Protect AMH services for local people. #TimeIsRunningOut

2. Fully fund Northern Ireland’s mental health strategy! #PlugTheGap

3. Form a new Executive and tackle the Cost of Living Crisis. #ProtectMentalHealth

Help us to make mental health and wellbeing a priority for all!

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• Facebook      @ActionMentalHealth
• Twitter          @amhni
• Instagram     @action_mental_health
• Linkedin         Action Mental Health

Thank you for your continued support.

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It’s #WorldMentalHealthDay and right around the world people are acting to ‘make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority.’

We’re calling for urgent action on these three priorities to help make Mental Health a priority in Northern Ireland.

#WMHD22 #MakeItAPriority  #TimeIsRunningOut #PlugTheGap #ProtectMentalHealth

Sector leaders urge for clarity on the future of Disability Employment Services in NI

The uncertain future of disability employment services in Northern Ireland, currently funded through the European Social Fund (ESF) has reached a critical cliff edge, sectors leaders, officials and elected representatives heard during an event in Stormont on Tuesday.

The event, led by the Northern Ireland Union for Supported Employment (NIUSE) heard first hand from service users who have accessed the range of support services currently under threat across the region. The event, sponsored by Kellie Armstrong MLA and Liz Kimmins MLA also heard from key departmental officials and service providers Mencap, Action Mental Health and Elaine Leonard, Chief Executive of Appleby Trust alongside the Equality Commission NI.

The European Social Fund (ESF) provides dedicated funding for projects aimed at improving the employability and employment levels of disabled people who often find it extremely difficult to access mainstream provision and as a result find themselves disadvantaged and further removed from the labour market. In doing so, it aims to help reduce inequalities between communities and regions and providers wider wellbeing and mental health benefits. Northern Ireland currently has the largest disability employment gap in the UK. The current funding provision is due to come to an end in March 2023, with no clear plan as to who or how this gap will be filled.

Norman Sterritt, Chair of NIUSE said,

“Time is running out and we have gathered a number of disability organisations, politicians, officials and other stakeholders together to find a solution to this urgent issue. Given the current challenges with the cost of living crisis, on top of the many health, social and economic inequalities that disabled people already experience, we need to ensure no one is left behind.”

The event also heard a powerful contribution from service user Conor,  who received support through Mencap’s ESF Project. During the event, Conor said,

“Mencap helped me get a job in Primark and they are always on hand to provide guidance and support. I love being a part of the Primark team and the freedom and independence it gives me. When a customer leaves with a smile on their face, it makes my day.”

David Babington, CEO of Action Mental Health said,

“The current European Social Funding runs out at the end of March 2023 and there is no certainty as to how support will continue beyond that. As a cross departmental issue, it is vital that departments work together to identify a long-term sustainable alternative to ESF. It has become clear that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will not sufficiently fill the gap that will be left for the 22 disability providers supporting some of the most vulnerable in our society.

“With no current Disability Strategy or Disability Employment Strategy in place, service providers are already working in an uncertain and difficult environment, made even more precarious by the lack of clarity around future funding for support for these vulnerable people. Over 21% of the working age population in NI has a disability, matching the average rate across the UK and with many of them have experienced challenging times during Covid-19 and now with the ongoing cost of living crisis, clarity is urgently required beyond March 2023”.

He finished; “We appreciate these are difficult times with all kinds of political, financial, cross departmental and governance hurdles but remember this will impact real people and it will be a shameful decision if in 2022 we let down those who are most in need”.

ESF has helped over 76,000 people since 2018 with over 11,000 participants moving into employment and another 11,000 into further education and training. Administered by DfE, the ESF budget is currently £177m for 69 projects of which £60.7m is for 22 disability projects which form a key pillar to the NI Executive’s response to barriers to employment for employees with a disability and mental health recovery services.

The event also heard from the Equality Commission NI’s Roisin Mallon who discussed the potential equality implications across Section 75 groups and the risk to not continuing support for these individuals.

All the pictures from the event can be found below.

All the pictures from the event can be found below.

Action Mental Health has signed an open letter with 100 other charities, community groups and academics calling for a new Executive to be formed to tackle the cost of living crisis.

The letter is calling for the formation of a new Executive to set a multi-year budget and introduce solutions to help local people who are struggling to meet the growing cost of essentials. Local households of all shapes and sizes are being pummelled by rising costs and urgently need support.

The letter says people are skipping meals, turning off heating and lighting and making their own sanitary products. It warns the situation is likely to worsen heading into the colder, darker months.

These experiences only scratch the surface of what the cost of living crisis is doing to women, men, children, parents, older people, young people, disabled people, unpaid carers, ethnic minorities and many more in every corner of Northern Ireland. The impact that this is having on people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing is severe.

The letter comes after an energy support scheme for people in Northern Ireland was confirmed on Wednesday.

Read the letter here

In September, Action Mental Health’s Promote service held their annual awards ceremony to honour clients who have taken part in a wide-range of courses throughout the year.

Councillor Karen Douglas (Mayor of Ards and North Down), Patsie McManus Day Services Lead for Adult Disability (SEHSST), David Babington (Chief Executive of Action Mental Health), Stephen Gibson (Neighbourhood Officer – PSNI) and family and friends of the clients attended the awards that took place in the Bangor-based service for adults with learning disabilities.

Before the awards commenced those in attendance were treated to a number of performances from clients.  Anika Johnston read a sensory story that she had written titled ‘Once on a Wild and Stormy Night’. The Environment Group demonstrated the Promote Environmental Pledge using Makaton and the Client Representatives explained their role in the service.  The choir also performed Imagine Dragons’ top hit – On Top of the World – using Makaton and some stop-start animation projects, which clients had produced, were premiered.

Every client received a certificate with some other’s receiving prizes voted for by their peers. The top prize of the Outstanding Client of the Year, was scooped up by Darren Courtenay, as voted by the whole Promote staff team.

A full list of awards winners below.

https://www.amh.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AMH-Promote-Awards-1.pdf

Action Mental Health on the 10^th of September join the annual World Suicide Prevention Day campaign.

This year focuses on the message of ‘Creating Hope Through Action’.

The aim of World Suicide Prevention Day is to raise awareness that suicide is preventable, improve education and spread information about suicide awareness.

For information on support available visit: https://bit.ly/WSPD22AMH

If you or someone you know is in crisis or distress – please reach out for help by clicking on the green button top right of the website and following the links.

People living with pain issues are bring given a vital helping hand through a programme specially designed to help them cope with their condition.

Action Mental Health, funded by the Western Health and Social Care Trust, offer self-management courses for those suffering a wide variety of pain conditions.

The Managing the Challenge (MTC) programme helps people manage their condition, including the pain they routinely suffer, more effectively.

MTC teaches people the skills to enable them to deal with the pain and the associated fatigue, anxiety and stress that often accompanies their condition. The programme offers people helpful techniques to help them move more, relax more easily, set goals, problem solve and improve their ability to talk about their pain to friends, family and healthcare professionals.

AMH’s MTC training is free to anyone over 18, in the Western Health and Social Care Trust area, who has a long term health condition or experiencing ongoing pain and is interested in learning new skills in self- managing their condition or pain.

The programme uses research-based techniques and strategies and has been designed with the help of healthcare professionals from the Trust with a wide range of knowledge and proven experience in providing support to those in pain.

Courses are delivered by experienced, skilled and empathetic trainers, many who have personal experience of long term health conditions.

David Tierney, Managing the Challenge trainer based at AMH New Horizons Fermanagh stated: “Learning to manage your condition, or pain significantly improves the quality of people’s lives. Most people with a chronic pain condition see a healthcare professional for as little as five hours per year. Our self-management programme helps you, through evidence informed ways, to support yourself in the remaining 8755 hours a year.

“Perhaps more importantly many others with similar conditions have told us they have benefited greatly from it,” he added. “We are confident that the programme could help sufferers to turn down the volume of their pain so that they live the best life they can in spite of having a pain condition.”

The programme is delivered in six weekly, 2.5 hour sessions in Derry/Londonderry, Enniskillen, Strabane, Omagh, Limavady and other locations across County Fermanagh. These courses provide an opportunity for participants to share their ideas and experience in a friendly and supportive environment.

AMH also deliver a small number of courses remotely via Zoom for those individuals with travel issues or who consider themselves as vulnerable due to their health condition.  

Clients have paid glowing tribute to the staff delivering the programme, as well as its content.

“The trainer was a ray of sunshine in a dark and stormy day,”

It was good to talk to people who are going through the same thing as you are going through.”

For more information contact: MTC Programme Coordinator

c/o AMH New Horizons Fermanagh
7 Cherrymount Road,

Drumcoo,

Enniskillen,

BT74 4GN

E: [email protected]
T: 028 6672 0673

For Learning Disability Week, we sat down with some of our fabulous clients who currently attend in our Promote Service.

We wanted to find out how they are reconnecting with friends and their communities. We also wanted to talk about the issues many people still face after the end of COVID restrictions, like still having to isolate or dealing with poor mental health and anxiety.