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Press Release

Help & Hope for a Brighter Future

Supporting, encouraging and empowering local people and communities to focus on positive mental health and suicide prevention.

In response to the Government’s Suicide Prevention Strategy 'Protect Life, A Shared Vision', a wide range of local action and initiatives are being progressed locally to help improve mental health and reduce the number deaths through suicide within the Northern area.

Suicide is a growing problem within Northern Ireland and it is widely acknowledged that reducing suicide and its tragic consequences for families and communities is a top priority. 

Dr John Watson, Director of Public Health, Northern Health and Social Services Board commented: ‘Across Northern Ireland each Health and Social Services Board area is required to develop local Action Plans to improve mental health and tackle the rising number of suicides. It is heartening to see that close links are being forged to promote mental health and suicide prevention across a wide range of sectors. It has been most encouraging to see the increased collaboration as demonstrated by the work being taken forward by partner organisations to tackle this issue, and by doing so, reduce local health inequalities.’

A number of key stakeholders and organisations have come together within the Northern area (comprising the local Council areas of Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Cookstown, Larne, Magherafelt, Moyle, and Newtownabbey) under the auspices of the Northern Board’s Northern Investing for Health Partnership Mental Health Promotion & Suicide Prevention Steering Group. These stakeholders from the community, statutory and voluntary sectors have worked collaboratively to develop a local Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention Action Plan – to promote positive mental health and prevent suicide.

Speaking about the work of the Steering Group, and the local Action Plans they have developed, Gabrielle Nellis, NHSSB Suicide Prevention Co-ordinator, said:

‘Evidence suggests that in seeking to help prevent suicide, we should not only focus on the risk factors that can contribute to poor mental health and lead to suicide, but also on the protective factors, which can often have an overwhelming impact on the course of an individual’s life.  With this in mind, a range of actions are being progressed locally to help individuals to learn to cope with life changing events and to support communities to work together to promote mental health and prevent suicide. In essence, all the work being driven forward through the Action Plans will aim to empower and build resilience for all age groups and support them to make positive choices in relation to their own mental health.’

The following are a few examples of recent actions or activities currently being implemented across the Northern area, by a range of partners, through the local Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention Action Plans:

• 'Make Suicide Prevention Everyone's Business’ - Effective Practice Guidelines for Suicide & Self Harm Prevention’ ~ This document was developed to provide local groups and organisations with evidence based information on effective practice models developed to tackle suicide or self harm. The document will support interested stakeholders to generate ideas for programmes by equipping them with a range of best practice knowledge and information.

• Information on evidence based mental health promotion has also been collated and provided to local organisations to help steer them towards developing initiatives that have been proven to improve the mental and emotional well-being of individuals.

• ‘Look After Yourself and Others’ - Northern Area Useful Contacts for Practical Support and Services to help improve Mental Health and Emotional Well-being'~ Due to be launched in late March 2009, this resource comprises a poster and handy pocket size leaflet to provide individuals, their friends, families and communities with useful contact information on locally available sources of support and services that are available to help improve mental health and emotional well being. This unique resource has been designed as a one stop directory to inform individuals and potential signposters of the wide range of locally available support that can be sourced to improve mental health and emotional well being.

• ZEST Family Support and Outreach Service for Self Harm ~ This pilot programme is initially available in Mid Ulster and South Antrim. The project provides information, support and guidance to those families who are experiencing self harm or suicidal behaviours.  This programme is for any family/carers who are supporting a someone who is self-harming.

• SuicideTalk ~ SuicideTALK is aimed at almost all members of the community. The training is designed to equip individuals with the ability to talk openly and honestly about suicide. SuicideTALK is ideal for professional staff, community groups and volunteers.  Workshops last 1.5hrs – 3hrs, depending on requirements and numbers. There are currently talks delivered by ‘Dare to Stretch’ and funded through the NHSSB for this year (60 talks booked this year with more to be funded within the next couple of years). These talks are for groups of up to 24 participants and are currently fully booked until September 09, when the funding will be re-allocated for further sessions. 

• ASIST:  Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training ~ Learn first aid intervention skills. ASIST is a 2-day workshop for care givers who want to feel more confident in helping to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. 

• DASSH - Drugs, Alcohol, Suicide and Self Harm ~ This practitioner training has been developed in conjunction with the Northern Drugs and Alcohol Co-ordination Team (NDACT). To date 7 training sessions have taken place. 

• AWARE DEFEAT DEPRESSION has been funded to deliver both:   Mood Matters – a programme that has been developed for young people; and Mental Health First Aid - a 2 day awareness course on how to recognise the symptoms of mental health problems and the effects on an individual’s life as well as how to provide initial help and how to guide a person towards appropriate professional help.

• BOUNCE – This training is provided to staff and individuals working with young people and aims to help them develop emotional resilience in the young people they are working with.

• Annual Inter-Church Event ~ ‘Suicide and Self Harm – A Challenge for the Churches’. 

• Theatre/Drama ~ a number of drama based interventions have been funded locally to raise awareness and promote the importance of suicide prevention.  Based on the success of these, it is hoped that further drama based interventions will be incorporated into future action plans.

• TESTIMONIES ~ this play was funded to further help raise awareness of the issues surrounding suicide and suicide prevention, as well as the needs of those bereaved through suicide, adapted and performed by Smashing Times Theatre Company.  A total of 4 plays took place throughout the month of February 09 across the Northern area in theatre venues in Ballymena, Cookstown, Newtownabbey and Coleraine.

• CROSSROADS ~ facilitated by Youth Action/Rainbow Factory, two Crossroads youth plays and workshops have been co-ordinated for young people and youth workers/leaders within South Antrim and Mid Ulster  looking at issues like suicide, self harm and sexuality.

• Up and Coming Developments

• The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is appointing a new Suicide Bereavement Support Worker to help build a supportive infrastructure across the Northern area.

• Two new community based Suicide Prevention Development Officers will shortly be in post, initially targeting the districts of Mid Ulster and South Antrim, but will remain as flexible posts in relation to geographical need.

For anyone who would like further information on any of the above developments including information on both Suicide Prevention and Promoting Mental Health Action Plans within the Northern area please contact either:

• Gabrielle Nellis (Suicide Prevention Co-ordinator, NHSSB)

           gabrielle.nellis@nhssb.n-i.nhs.uk or 028 2531 1193 or 028 2531 1172

• Jayne McConaghie (Senior Health Promotion Officer Mental Health, NHSCT) jayne.mcconaghie@northerntrust.hscni.net or 028 2563 5575

If you or someone you know needs help or support, the following numbers may be useful:

• LIFELINE 0808 808 8000 (24 hour support for those in distress or despair)

• Contact Samaritans 08457 909090

• Contact your local doctor or GP out-of-hours service 0870 5329024

• ZEST Passion for Life, Healing the Hurt of Self Harm & Suicide 028 7126 6999

• CRUSE Bereavement Care Young Persons Helpline 0808 808 1677

• CRUSE Bereavement Care Helpline 0844 477 9400

Additionally, the Look After Yourself and Others support information can be downloaded from the Northern Investing for Health Partnership website:  www.northernifhpartners.co.uk