Monday 31 July 2017

Gateway is Recruiting Project Workers

We are delighted to be recruiting new Project Workers in Gateway.  Project workers work alongside people with lived experience of mental health challenges to facilitate and encourage peer support, peer modelling, active membership and leadership within Gateway.

Please see the job specification including information on the application process below for anyone interested in applying.

Please note that the Project Worker positions are Community Employment (C.E.) positions and those interested will need to check with their local INTREO office if they are eligible for C.E. and apply through INTREO office quoting CE job reference number 2046988 to be added to list.

Short listing will apply and interviews for the positions will take place in August.

Please feel free to circulate this to anyone who may be interested and/or have the relevant experience but please note that lived experience of mental health challenges and an interest in recovery is essential.

Good luck to all/any applying.


Friday 28 July 2017

Gateway August Schedule

Here is our shiny new schedule for August , enjoy !


Self-Advocacy Training

We are delighted to have the Irish Advocacy Network coming into Gateway to do a course on Self-Advocacy training. The course will run over four weeks this August.  This is a great opportunity to develop skills to help have your voice heard. The course will also cover topics such as assertiveness and self- esteem. Places for this course are already fully booked but we hope to share our learning to anyone who has missed out on a place. 

New Reiki sessions available to Gateway Members

Wednesday 12 July 2017

Creative Writing Competition Winner !!





Here is Patrick C. winner of the Gateway Creative Writing Competition 2017 accepting his trophy . Patrick's story was voted number one by his fellow writing peers last Friday . Kevin O'B came runner in what was a stiff competition .  Congratulations to all the wonderful stories and writers involved and to the winners . Have a look at Patrick's winning story below :




Captain James L Riddick’s Journey to Zoltan the Forbidden Planet


It was the year 3025 the American space station Nassau was launching their latest space craft.  The commander of the American space station Nassau Commander Bruce Bernstein was launching the hi tech, fastest, best weapons to do battle in attack and defence.  They had been working secretly on this craft for 30 years.  The Commanders daughter Cornel Janice Hoffman and her husband secretary of defence Bill Hoffman were in charge of the craft and team of astronauts.  At this time Earth had been under pressure from Other Planets and Species trying to become dominant and destroying humanity and become rulers of the Galaxy.  The most feared Planet known as the forbidden Planet was Zoltan, because anybody who entered never returned so no one has ever came back to tell what it’s like.   As they the launch got underway they were told to avoid anywhere or distance of a thousand miles from the forbidden Planet.  The high powered craft got off like the speed of a ray light.  Everything was going right all of a sudden one of the engines started to stop they lost contact with the space station.  They were saying the only place they could have made an emergency landing was Zoltan and they did they landed on the Planet this was the last contact they had with the craft.
The Commander didn’t give up hope because he knew one man who could probably find the team of the craft and bring them back alive.  This was Captain Lames L Riddick who was retired three years he was seventy five, and had a commendable record of bravery and experience in Nassau history.  Captain Riddick was fishing on a small boat on a lake in Mississippi where he lived with his Golden Labrador dog Busker.  He never married because he couldn’t be sure if he would return from battle he was a kind hearted man. He had a gambling and alcohol problem and when he’s running out of his retirement money he would compete in street fighting which he never lost.  The captain had a partner who done his cooking and cleaning whom he had a deep affection, her name is Justina a retired dance teacher from Italy. 
A space craft came down and hovered on the lake they asked Riddick to get on board the commander explained to Riddick what happened would he help to bring back his daughter and their crew.  Captain Riddick told that he wold try and bring them back but would go alone.  Explaining once he seen and killed some species he said they have powers of super strength and can fire lasers from their eyes saying their called Marmites seven feet tall with fur and tails and they understand human language.  They don’t like anything to do humans I will go and try rescue the crew.  In a real hurry Riddick said goodbye to his dog and Justina.  He put his Nassau space suit on probably for the last time took off into space at full speed.
Riddick entered the forbidden Planet surprised he even got to land.  Amazed by the scenery was something like a jungle on Earth.  He thought the Planet about the size of the Amazon jungle with giant plants and trees looked like they eat plants and small creatures that look like cabbages and rabbits.  As he was walking through he came across two marmites talking in their language sounded really loud and fast.  They spotted him stared running towards him firing lasers.  Riddick had a steel gadget that was like a boomerang within seconds quietly killed them instantly.  He heard noises coming from a distance like a valley.  He seen all the crew tied against trees it looked like they were being sacrificed like ritual.  There was thousands of Marmites at the sacrifice.  Riddick planted bombs all over setting them to explode giving himself ten minutes.  Making his way towards the crew he used his gadgets to kill the marmites this was the only way he could.  It was like Riddick was invisible they couldn’t stop him, eventually he freed the crew.  Riddick they said is that you no time to talk replied Riddick we’ve about five minutes to get back to the craft.  They were chased by thousands of Marmites.  A lot of the crew didn’t make it far Riddick made sure the commanders daughter made it to the craft unfortunately her husband didn’t make it, as they took off the bombs exploded killing thousands of Marmites.  They reached Earth safely Riddick you did it how can we thank you.  I never believed to come back, the Marmites will want revenge there is more to come.  Call the president tell him, he could have an intergalactic battle on his hands.  I am happy it’s no longer feared as the forbidden Planed.






Patrick Clifford          

Mental Health (Amendment) Bill

The Mental Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill is moving quickly and will go to report and final stage in the Dáil this Friday at 10.00am.

This is a key moment where the Mental Health Reform coalition can highlight that the Mental Health Act, 2001 needs to be updated.

Passage of the Bill would also make some significant changes that will strengthen the rights of mental health service users when in hospital.

Please support the Bill as part of the campaign to get fully updated mental health law: 
  1. Circulate this email with the attached briefing note to your clients and contacts 
  2. Contact your local TDs and ask them to support the Bill. Tell your TD why you think updated mental health law is urgently needed 
  3. Re-post on Facebook and re-tweet on Twitter MHR communications about the Bill 
  4. Attend report (final) stage of the Bill in Leinster House this coming Friday 14th July. Anyone interested in the debate is invited to attend.
If you would like to attend the proceedings in Leinster House this coming Friday 14th July, please contact Indre at admintemp@mentalhealthreform.ie by 1pm, this coming Wednesday 12th July. We will organise for your name to be put on the list for entrance at the Kildare Street gates of Leinster House. Please note that your name must be at the gate in order to gain entry. 

The changes proposed in the Mental Health (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 2017 are explained in detail in the briefing note below.  

Background:
As previously highlighted the Bill was introduced by Fianna Fáil earlier this year and seeks to amend key sections of the Mental Health Act, 2001. Mental Health Reform is in full support of the Bill for the following reasons: 

1. It contains certain significant changes that will strengthen the rights of people when they are in hospital for mental health care. While the Bill does not address all of the existing gaps in the Mental Health Act, 2001, it is an encouraging step towards full revision of the 2001 Act and 

2. It provides an opportunity to advocate for the amendment of the Mental Health Act, 2001 in full, in line with the recommendations of the Expert Group report on review of the Act and MHR's own recommendations. To date, the Government has repeatedly failed to meet its own timetable for updating the Act and at the moment there is not even a mention of revisions to the Act in the Government's current legislative programme. The publication of the Bill by the largest opposition party puts pressure on the Government to publish the full revising legislation as promised. 


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