1

• NO FRONTIERS
• Employment Opportunities for people with Mental
  Health Needs
• A Cross Border
  Partnership
• PETER SHIELDS
• ACTION MENTAL HEALTH

2
NO FRONTIERS

• WINNING NEW OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMME
• Anne Marie Nedeljkovic Mind Matters -
  Raphoe
• Frances Ferry Worklink
  - Letterkenny
• Marie Heffron
  Homefirst H SS Trust Magherafelt
• THE MELVIN PROJECT
• John James McBride

3
A CROSS
BORDER PARTNERSHIP
4

• 
  AIM
• TO PROMOTE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH USING
• COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES
• AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT

5
A 3
WAY PARTNERSHIP

• RURAL HEALTH MIND MATTERS PROJECT -RAPHOE CO.
  DONEGAL
• RURAL HEALTH SOCIAL WELLBEING PARTNERSHIP
  DRAPERSTOWN CO. DERRY
• HEALTH PROMOTION DEPT NUIG GALWAY

6
INTERAGENCY
CROSS
SECTORAL COLLABORATION

• REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
  NORTHERN IRELAND
• COMMUNITY
  DEVELOPMENT GROUPS
• STATUTORY
  HEALTH AGENCIES
• WOMENS
  NETWORK
• GOVERNMENT
  DEPARTMENTS
• FARMING
  ORGANISATIONS
• TRAINING
  EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES
• 31 TRAINERS
• 24 WORKSHOPS
• 184 UNEMPLOYED
• 47 MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE USERS

7

SWOT ANAYLSIS OF
CROSS BORDER
WORKING

• STRENGTHS - SHARING EXPERTISE,
  NETWORKING,
• 
  COMMON GROUND, CAPACITY
• 
  BUILDING
• WEAKNESSES - GEOGRAPHICAL DISTANCE,
• 
  SLOW PROCESS
• OPPORTUNITIES - REMOVING BARRIERS,
  LEARNING,
• 
  MANY SPIN OFFS
• THREATS - FRUSTRATION, TOO
  WIDE A FOCUS

8
WINNING NEW JOBS

• FROM THE PERSPECTIVE
• OF A
• NORTH WEST TRAINER

9
FRANCES FERRY

• WORKLINK NORTH WEST
• LETTERKENNY
• CO. DONEGAL
• JOB COACH/TRAINER/
• SUPPORT WORKER

10
OVERVIEW

• Introduction
• Workshops Delivered
• Outcomes and Success
• What Works
• What Did Not Work
• Success Stories
• Conclusion

11
INTRODUCTION

• Another new American Programme I can do this
• Trainers not the experts
• Leap of Faith

12
WORKSHOPS
DELIVERED

• FAS Training Centre, Gaoth Dobhair
• NWHB/FAS Training Centre, Letterkenny
• NWHB, Killybegs
• NWHB/FAS/Social Welfare (Job Club) Gaoth Dobhair

13
OUTCOMES AND
SUCCESS

• How many have jobs?

14
WHAT WORKS?

• Confidence boost
• The participants seem to grow
• The workshop gave them direction
• It opened up new ideas and new methods to aid
  them in their job search
• Opportunity to I pass

15
WHAT WORKS CONTD.

• Self disclosure from the trainers helped with
  overall harmony of workshop made us human
• Having 2 trainers deliver the programme made the
  workshop more dynamic

16
WHAT DIDNT
WORK?

• At times the language used was a barrier
• Participants sometimes felt that parts of the
  programme were repetitive
• Participants not screened properly dont meet
  criteria
• Spreading workshop over 2 weeks instead of on 5
  consecutive days

17
SUCCESS STORIES

• Job as secretary
• Job in maintenance
• Job in a shop
• Job as carer
• Driving test
• Computer course (ECDL)
• Reading at mass
• Further education

18
CONCLUSION

• Excellent Programme
• Needs to be incorporated into other training
  programmes
• 5 days powerful intensive course and then nothing
  - No follow up
• Great confidence building tool
• Difficult to achieve outcomes in employment black
  spots e.g. West Donegal

19
Winning New Opportunities Programme

• Marie HeffronSenior OTCommunity Mental Health
  TeamMagherafelt

20
This session will
explain

• The Recovery Journey
• How the Winning New Opportunities
• Programme was delivered
• Outcomes
• Why the Programme worked for us
• Conclusion

21
The Recovery Journey
22

Literature Review

• Ridgway (2001)
• Manage health problems
• Lead an active life
• Shepherd and Hatfield (1994)
• Want to work
• Cook et al (2000) DoH (1998)
• Increased self-esteem
• Alleviation of psychiatric symptoms
• Reduced dependency
• Social inclusion

23
Winning New
Opportunities Programme

• 3 Programmes
• 33 Participants
• 27 Known to Mental Health
• Services

24
Outcomes
25
Response Rate
26
(No Transcript)
27
Benefit from WNO
Programme
28
Did it help
to improve self-esteem?
29

Would you recommend the
programme to
friends or people
who are currently
unemployed?
30
Outstanding
Achievements

• BA (Hons ) Fine Applied Art
• University of Ulster
• NVQ II in Administration NEIFHE
• Considering doing other courses next year
• Voluntary Counselling with Age Concern
• also
• Cruise Bereavement course this autumn
• NVQ III in Business Administration

31
Outstanding
Achievements

• Applied for Supervisor Post at local Primary
  School
• awaiting outcome
• Diploma in Counselling
• Queens University, Belfast
• also
• 1st Year Certificate in Management Practice
  University of Ulster
• Completed 2nd Year of a 3 Year BA (Hons) Combined
  Humanities Degree

32
Why the
Programme worked for us

• Screening
• Job Clinic
• Opportunity Ready
• Employment Officer
• Support/Follow-up from OT
• Magherafelt Resources
• Information Session
• Evening Group

33
Recovery
Journey

• Viewed not in terms of absence of illness but
  as a process of establishing a satisfying and
  meaningful life with an impairment rather than
  waiting to be without one.

34
THE MELVIN PROJECT

• John James McBride
• Throughout 1998
• Discussions between Action Mental Health North
  Western Health Board

35
THE MELVIN PROJECT

• Development of a Service
• Fermanagh, Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal
• Sperrin Lakeland Trust
• Why?

36
THE MELVIN PROJECT

• Mid 1999
• Funding
• Special Support programme for Peace and
  Reconciliation
• I was approached
• Dec 1999
• Melvin Commenced Jan 2000

37
THE MELVIN PROJECT

• Rehabilitation Vocational Opportunities
• Possible Recognised Difference
• Passive or Living System

38
THE MELVIN PROJECT

• Staff Recruited
• Administration Centre
• Training Areas
• Initial Stages
• Audit of Community Services Resources
• Meetings Expectations
• Referrals

39
THE MELVIN PROJECT

• Geographic Area
• Criteria for Referrals
• 93 in total
• Majority
• Why?
• Isolation

40
THE MELVIN PROJECT

• Two groups set up
• Cause of Isolation
• Training Reflected this (12 months)
• Modules
• Sessional Trainers
• Taxi Services

41
THE MELVIN PROJECT

• Management Team
• Senior Personnel from Mental Health Services
• Was the Commitment There?

42
THE MELVIN PROJECT

• Social
• Integration
• Quality of life Assessments
• Action Plans
• Community Based Resources

43
THE MELVIN PROJECT

• Economic
• Supported Employment
• Employment related activities
• Political
• Public Awareness
• Public Education
• Partnerships

44
THE MELVIN PROJECT

• Evaulation
• In Conclusion
• Bold initiative for change
• Followed by commitment
• Go Raibh Míle Maith Agaibh