All posts by actionmentalhealth

AMH News

Join our campaign : #GoPurpleForParity for #WorldMentalHealthDay

Join with us in calling for mental health to be funded in line with physical health and for a guarantee that the Mental Health Strategy will be fully funded and implemented.

For too long, the mental health of Northern Ireland has been underfunded and undervalued. As a neglected ‘Cinderella service’, it has been in the shadows and overlooked for too long.

Action Mental Health has long campaigned for a mental health strategy for Northern Ireland and warmly welcomed Minister Swann’s announcement of its launch earlier this year and the appointment of a Mental Health Champion. It is imperative that we now see urgent work across Government to secure the significant investment required to deliver the actions outlined in the strategy. We urgently need to see parity for mental health. Be part of our Go Purple for Parity campaign this year.

Join us by using our Social Media Calendar and Graphics Pack (available to download below) to share the campaign messages or by creating your own content using the hashtags #ParityForMentalHealth #WorldMentalHealthDay #GoPurpleForParity

Go Purple Social Media PackDownload
Day 1 Graphic – aDownload
Day 1 Graphic – bDownload
Day 2 GraphicDownload
Day 3 GraphicDownload
Day 4 GraphicDownload
Day 5 GraphicDownload

All the instructions are in the pack – we have made taking part as easy as we can! On the run up to #WorldMentalHealthDay (10 October) we’ve prepared 1 tweet/post per day. Use the “Click here to Tweet” links provided and then add our graphic.

Many thanks to our clients – Geraldine, Mandy, Ben & Sandra who shared their views on why it’s so important to go purple for parity.

To join in with our Go Purple for Parity FundraisingCampaign, email: [email protected]
for more information.

AMH News

ICE ICE baby – Tony scoops AMH’s special chairman’s award for 2021

AMH New Horizons Foyle Key Worker Tony Hunter, Driver & Grounds Maintenance, receives the 2021 ICE award 
 

A valued member of staff at Action Mental Health’s New Horizons Foyle service who has helped clients rally the tough times of the pandemic and beyond has been rewarded for his efforts.

Tony Hunter, driver and grounds maintenance worker at the service has won the AMH Chairman’s ICE Award – an annual accolade awarded by chairman Peter Fitzsimmons, for demonstrating ‘innovation, creativity and excellence’.

Action Mental Health’s Chief Executive, David Babington offered hearty congratulations to Tony when he handed over the coveted award recently.

“On behalf of our Chairman, I’m delighted to announce that Tony Hunter from our Foyle service has been award the ICE Award,” he said.

“For those who don’t know him, Tony is the driver and he has clearly been doing an ordinary job in an extraordinary way as a very valued member of the Foyle team, particularly during Covid. Tony has demonstrated Innovation, Creativity and Excellence whilst ensuring clients’ needs are being met and is really deserving of the Chairman’s ICE Award,” he added.

Mr Hunter won his award over a clutch of other accomplished nominees, as Mr Babington explained: “There were seven other nominees and I want to thank all those who nominated these individuals. The Chairman had a really difficult task in assessing and scoring each application and the professionalism, passion and commitment of all staff was evident and it made the selection so hard.”

AMH News

Supporting Progressive Building Society’s Savings Week

It’s Northern Ireland Savings Week (20th – 24th September 2021). Now in its 4th year, Savings Week is an opportunity to help raise awareness of the benefits and importance of saving on a regular basis, encouraging people to not only think about saving, but prioritise it, and begin to consider the positive change it can have on their lives.

Action Mental Health is delighted to be supporting Progressive’s Savings Week again this year and we have shared some tips in our guest blog post Money and Mind on their website.

Scott Kennerley, Director of Financial Services, The Consumer Council NI; Jane Millar, Head of Lending & Savings, Progressive Building Society; Jonathan Smyth, Head of Fundraising & Communications, Action Mental Health at last year’s launch

Jonathan Smyth, Head of Communications & Fundraising at Action Mental Health, said of the partnership,

“We are delighted to be working alongside Progressive and The Consumer Council for Northern Ireland Savings Week as we know that financial anxiety and money worries can have serious impacts on people’s mental well-being. Teaching people about savings and budgeting, as well as taking steps to look after their mental health, is a simple way to prevent these issues getting out of control.”

AMH News

Cooley PS pupils learn how to be Healthy Heroes with Action Mental Health ahead of move to ‘big school’

A County Tyrone primary school has taken proactive steps to safeguard its Primary 7 pupils’ mental health and well-being as they prepare for the transition to ‘big school’ next year.

Cooley Primary School in Sixmilecross has enlisted the help of Action Mental Health’s Healthy Heroes programme which has been specially designed to explore key themes that impact on young people in the pivotal move from primary school to secondary level education.

Action Mental Health’s MensSana Project Worker Michael McClean displays the Healthy Heroes shield.

Healthy Heroes is a new, informative, year-long programme which builds on Action Mental Health’s highly successful and widely subscribed Healthy Me programme, which was developed in partnership with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and the Royal College of Psychiatry. Healthy Me has been promoting positive mental health in Northern Ireland’s primary schools since its launch in 2017.

Healthy Heroes aims to deal with issues of anxiety, stress and managing changes, as well as self-esteem, courage, confidence, learning differences and friendship. Crucially, it offers an evidence-based and trauma-informed approach to building life-long skills for coping with change and transitions. It is also all about celebrating individual children’s uniqueness and achievement as they move towards the first year of the next phase of their education.

Karen Atchison, Principal of Cooley Primary School commented: “Action Mental Health has supported our school over the past number of years and pupils and staff alike have found it to be very beneficial with practical advice and activities. 

“The workshops themselves have appealed to our pupils and have given them self-help skills to deal with issues they may encounter. We are excited that our Year 7 class is going to be able to avail of the ‘Healthy Heroes’ programme,” she said.

“Children have had many different experiences in their lives over the past 18 months and we are delighted that this programme will support them as they transition towards post primary education, covering many key topics such as courage, anxiety and self-esteem. Having the support of an experienced project worker is just great,” she added.

AMH MensSana’s Michael McClean, who is among the charity’s team of specialist project workers who will deliver the Healthy Heroes programmes to Cooley Primary School, praised the school’s uptake of AMH’s mental health and well-being programmes in the past.

“The school has undertaken other programmes, like Healthy Me, in the past and it is so good to see this rural school placing such an emphasis on their pupils’ well-being and bring it to the fore.”

Children of Cooley Primary School learning how to prepare themselves for the transition to ‘big school’ with the help of Action Mental Health’s MensSana Project Worker Michael McClean.

For pricing and more information, contact our AMH MensSana team at:


Southern Trust area
T: 028 3839 2314
E: [email protected]


All other areas
T: 07590 444630
E: [email protected]

Testimonials

Alexandria’s Story

It’s a strange thing, mental health. It’s difficult to understand and the symptoms of poor mental health don’t always show on the outside but they are always felt, in every area of life. I was referred to AMH New Horizons over three years ago now, but have suffered from the poor state of my mental health for well over two decades.

When I came here I’d, well, lost hope to be honest. I was doing better than I ever had thanks to an understanding psychologist and the Ballymena Mental Health Team who referred me here, but was still mostly going through the motions expecting to fail and fall back into depression and anxiety as soon as I was done. I expected to spend two years doing things  I couldn’t care less about and telling people what they wanted to hear until I could isolate myself again, and all mostly for the sake of my parents. They worried so much and I wanted them to have a little hope, false as it was to my mind.

My first day was stressful, as would be expected. I was in a room of people I didn’t know after all, something that caused my anxiety to spike at the very thought of it. But there was something different this time. These were people like me. People who spent every day with the same kind of struggles and problems I was used to minimising for the sake of my family. But cynicism held out, at least for a little while.

AMH New Horizons welcomed me with open arms, but it was also a place I felt my own needs and issues were being respected. They weren’t trying to change me,they were helping me be the best version of myself I could be. Giving me tools and education and letting me make my own way about it. Guiding me, but letting me make up my own mind. Giving suggestions, but letting me make my own choices, even if that took longer than for other people. I felt safe and seen and heard. And, over time, I opened up, relaxed, felt at home.

AMH New Horizons has given me hope again. Hope that I’m not going to fall or, if I do, I have the strength to get back up again. I have qualifications in areas I’ve found interesting, including currently doing an NVQ in Business and Administration, where I feel confident I’m doing well, and a range of creative courses that have boosted my mood and gotten me interested in hobbies again. The staff here have been wonderful – Understanding, patient and open. They let you know they are here to support you, without pushing or prodding.

I will forever be indebted to AMH New Horizons and the staff that work here. This organisation has changed my life so much for the better. They’ve given me hope, safety and a future. I can never thank them enough and I will never, ever forget any of them, or any of the friends I’ve made here.

Alexandria is a participant on AMH’s “Working It Out” Project which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy.

Testimonials

Paul lands a new job

Paul came onto Action Mental Health’s Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Programme in December 2020 having been unable to work for 20 years due to his disability. He was very motivated for going to work but felt that his confidence, lack of qualifications, and experience were preventing him from taking that step to look for employment. 

Lockdown then hit in January 21 so Paul was having weekly meetings with his Employment Specialist on Zoom and the first job he felt would be suitable was a position in the Ulster Hospital as a Service Assistant. Paul had also previously mentioned that he would like to gain a qualification so this was discussed further with his Employment Officer who suggested he could complete a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate online to help him fulfill the Desirable Criteria on the application – he successfully completed this within days of the discussion.

Paul got an interview in the Ulster Hospital and although he wasn’t successful at that time his confidence was growing as he had achieved a qualification and also gained some interview experience.  Paul continued to look for jobs, had an interview with Robinsons Cleaning Services for a part-time cleaning position, and was successful.  He started working in Randox Health in June 21 for 12 hours per week and then offered a further 3 hours.  Paul takes great pride in his job, works very conscientiously, and now feels he has a purpose. 

“Being on the IPS Programme really helped me to see that work was an option and it has been brilliant for me.  It has given me something to focus on other than my mental health and has made such a positive difference to me.  I am also much richer and happier.”

To find out more about the IPS programme click here : https://www.amh.org.uk/services/individual-placement-support/ . The programme is available in the Belfast Health & Social Care Trust Area

This project is part funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the Belfast HSC Trust.

Testimonials

Mark finds his vocation

Joining Action Mental Health (AMH) had a significant impact on Mark’s life. The AMH ‘Working it Out’ ESF programme supports the recovery of adults experiencing mental ill health who are interested in progressing towards further training and employment opportunities.

Mark has suffered from mental ill-health since childhood.  As an adult Mark gained employment, however, he had periods of time when his mental health declined and he needed to take time out of work to recover.  His mental ill-health impacted his career.

After leaving work Mark was referred to AMH New Horizons where he completed over 20 Accredited training courses including OCNNI in Stress Management Techniques, Health & Social Care, and Employability courses.

‘I came to AMH-New Horizons in the spring of 2018.  Spring is known as a time of rebirth, hope, and new life.  I received this from the moment I engaged with the service and it continued to grow throughout my time with AMH.  Looking back, I am forever grateful for the opportunity that was offered, so that I could gain knowledge, skills, and experience.

I received much-needed help to integrate, progress, and survive in this life.  I gained the confidence I needed to pursue voluntary work and I am now working as a personal carer and thanks to AMH-New Horizons I have found my vocation.

Mark is taking part in the “Working It Out” Project which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy.

Testimonials

Colin gets a confidence boost!

The AMH ‘Working it Out’ project provides a comprehensive programme of specialist training in personal development, vocational skills and employability, to people recovering from mental illness, supporting them to gain paid employment or progress to further education /further training.

Colin Wright, a client at AMH New Horizons, initially took part in International Job Shadow Day with Alan Espey Clothing & Interiors Newtownards. This was then followed by a work experience placement and eventually, Colin commenced part-time employment in the business. While attending AMH New Horizons, Colin also achieved his NVQ Level Two Certificate in Retail Skills.

“Securing this employment, has meant a great deal to me. It has boosted my confidence and career prospects. I’m indebted to Mr Espey for providing me with the opportunity to develop my retail experience and for encouraging and motivating me,” said Colin.

Mr Espey commented, “For us, this was an excellent opportunity to give someone with no retail experience a chance to gain retail knowledge and practical skills in a real working environment. I watched, over the weeks and months, Colin becoming more confident with weekly tasks such as customer engagement, stocktaking, using tills and displaying stock. It has been a very positive experience and one where we feel we have helped Colin to plan for his future.”

Colin is taking part in the “Working It Out” Project which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy.