November 2012 Newsletter

November Schedule

Creative Writing

Creative Writing is on a break on Friday the 2nd of November.

Back as usual on the 9th of November from 2.00pm top 4.00pm.

Law Reform and Gateway Members

In May and June 2012 Amnesty International Ireland used the citizens’ jury model to facilitate the involvement of people with experience of mental health problems to analyse new capacity law. A number of Gateway Members were involved in this process. See the link below for the reccomendations of the Jury.

A Citizens' Jury on Legal Capasity Law

Positive Steps to Wellbeing

Positive Steps for Wellbeing

Some positive steps to wellbeing for Mental Health Week here

Drop in closed on Monday 15th of October 2012.

We are sorry we have had to close drop in on the 15th of October due to unforseen circumstances. The Gateway Project Team.

Thank you.

Respond Conference

Mental Health Reform collecting signatures in colleges and need some help

* Tue 16 Oct, NUI Maynooth, 12-3.00pm
* Thurs 18 Oct, Parkway and Arthur’s Quay Centres, Limerick
* Tue 23, Thurs 25 Oct, TCD, 12-3.00pm
* Thurs 1 Nov, Eyre Square Centre, Galway, 12-4pm
* Wed 7 Nov, Dundalk IT, 12-3.00pm
* Wed 7 Nov, Marshes Centre, Dundalk, 3-6pm
* Thurs 8 Nov, Waterford IT, 12.00-4.00pm*
*Tue 13 Nov, Manor Mills Centre, Maynooth, 12-3pm
*Mon 19 Nov, Dun Laoghaire College of Art & Design, pm
* Tue 20 Nov, St. Pat’s Drumcondra, 12.00-3.00pm
*Thurs 22 Nov, Cork IT, 12.00-3.00pm
* Mon 26 Nov, Sligo IT, 12.00-2.00pm
*Mon 26 Nov, Johnstown Centre, Sligo, 3-5pm

If you’d like to help out on any of these dates or want more information on the campaign, just email Lara Kelly onlkelly@mentalhealthreform.ie or call Lara at 087 618 9715.

Alternatively, you can download a petition here (http://www.mentalhealthreform.ie/petition2012.php) and collect signatures in your local area.

If you'd like to do this, please return signed petition sheets to us by 20th November, so that we can prepare for a handover to the Government in late November.

Thank you! Thanks! S

hari -- Shari McDaid Policy Officer Tel. 01 612 1422 Mobile: 086 044 6696 www.mentalhealthreform.ie Like MHR on facebook Follow us on twitter @MHReform

Help needed

Hi all, For those of you who do not know me, my name is Maria Swan and I volunteered with Gateway in 2009-2010 for several months. I am currently doing a Masters in Social Work in Trinity College Dublin. I am really interested in the area of mental health and service provision in Ireland. I would love to talk to a Gateway member about their experience of mental health service provision in Ireland for one of my assignments. All that would be required of you is to meet me for an informal chat which will last as long as you want to talk to me for. Everything discussed will be dealt with in confidence and your name will be anonymised. If you are interested or need more information, please contact me at mswan@tcd.ie or at +353 87 760 38 77. Thanks very much and I look forward to hearing from you!!

World Mental Health Day

Reach out and speak about your mental health and wellbeing.

Tallaght Mental Health Association

T

Be the Change

Government told: Don’t Drop the Ball on Mental Health in Budget 2013.

Mental Health Reform's pre-budget campagin. Sign the petition online here. Former Ireland and Munster rugby star Alan Quinlan joined Mental Health Reform’s Director Orla Barry today to urge the Government to continue investing in community mental health services and not to drop the ball on mental health in next year’s Budget. Readers can support the campaign by signing Mental Health Reform’s online petition. Orla Barry commented: “the current Government promised to invest €35 million every year in developing community mental health services, yet little of this money has been spent in 2012. We are asking them to keep their word and invest a full €35 million in 2013.” “The mental health of Ireland’s population is under severe strain and our mental health services are in an important time of transition towards modern, community-based services. Further cuts to the mental health budget risk undermining work already done and safety within our existing services”, Ms. Barry concluded. At the launch, Quinlan called on the public to support the campaign: “I know from my own experience how important it is that people get the help they need, in their local communities. With the right support, people will have the chance to recover their mental health and live their lives to the fullest. We need to show that there is public support out there for this issue. Join the campaign on www.mentalhealthreform.ie".