To mark World Mental Health Day 2023, the Mental Health Champion held the NI Mental Health Expo to shine a light on the incredible work being undertaken in Northern Ireland’s Mental Health Services. Staff in both the Statutory and Community & Voluntary sector are delivering life changing treatment and care everyday, to reduce suffering and help individuals, families and communities to flourish.
The Expo was an opportunity to learn more about the services available, with 15 exhibitors showcasing the mental health services they provide that are making a difference, as well as a series of talks and panel sessions discussing some of the most important work currently ongoing.
The Mental Health Champion wants to continue to shine a light on the services making a difference in so many lives even after the event and has created this campaign to highlight the work of the exhibitors who took part in the NI Mental Health Expo. We encourage you to find out more about the organisations below who are doing the heaving lift and delivering care, so that you can understand more about what is available.
The campaign will also show key moments from the Expo that will enhance the public's understanding of what is happening in mental health services, as well as what is needed for mental health reform in NI.
Action Mental Health
Action Mental Health changes the lives of those living with mental ill health and promotes resilience and wellbeing throughout our community. We have a range of services across Northern Ireland and each year we support around 50,000 local people. Services include recovery and employability services for adults living with mental ill-health; counselling and therapeutic services for people of all ages and a range of resilience building programmes delivered in schools, community settings and workplaces.
Find out more here: https://www.amh.org.uk/
AWARE NI
AWARE NI is the Depression Charity for Northern Ireland, offering support and education for people with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. Established in 1996, the charity has a large network of peer-led support groups run by a team of trained volunteers. Support groups welcome people experiencing mental ill-health and offer them a safe space to open up and be around others who understand them. AWARE NI delivers mental health and well-being programmes into communities, schools, universities and workplaces, teaching attendees techniques to look after their own mental health and wellbeing.
Find out more here: www.aware-ni.org
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust Mental Health Service are committed to delivering a high quality, safe and effective service. Our highly skilled and compassionate Teams work alongside people in hospital and community settings to facilitate recovery from a range of mental health conditions. One area of support is supported housing accommodation and floating support. These are recovery focused services that aim to support people to maximise wellbeing and quality of life. The Trust can provide short term placement for adults experiencing enduring mental health difficulties within a supported housing model through assessment and support processes, rehabilitation strategies and achievable goal setting. We also provide long term support for people who live with enduring mental health difficulties to assist them to live independently within their community
Find out more here: https://belfasttrust.hscni.net/healthy-living/mental-health/
https://belfasttrust.hscni.net/service-type/mental-health-services__trashed/
Cause
Cause are a peer-led charity, run by carers for carers. We know from direct personal experience the issues carers can face. Whether you just need someone to talk to, guidance on finding your way around or accessing services, how to work with professionals, learning more about mental illness, support available for carers or dealing with other problems, we are here for you. Our range of services delivered by a team of dedicated Carer Advocates can offer you help and support. Empower you as a relative, partner or friend to cope effectively in helping your loved one's recovery. We are committed to working collaboratively within our own sector and across sectors to achieve better outcomes, regularly linking carers we work with to other services, statutory and voluntary within their communities. We strive to keep carers updated on key events and consultations where our voice as carers needs to be heard.
Find out more here: https://www.cause.org.uk/
Find Help NI
No matter your circumstances or position, Find Help NI simplifies the process of finding health, wellbeing, and support resources in Northern Ireland. Created by mental health professionals in NI, we aim to empower individuals and create a community of proactive help seekers. Our mission is not only to connect people with the help they need nearby, but also to inspire all of us, with the knowledge and tools to support ourselves and the people around us.
Find out more here: https://findhelpni.com/
Inspire
Inspire is an all-island charity and social enterprise and our aim is wellbeing for all. We work together with people living with mental ill health, intellectual disability, autism and addictions to ensure they live with dignity and realise their full potential. We campaign to create a society free from stigma and discrimination, creating a culture of compassion that focuses on people and their abilities.
Find out more here: https://www.inspirewellbeing.org/
Lifeline
Lifeline is Northern Ireland’s crisis response helpline for people experiencing distress or despair. Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year on 0808 808 8000. Calls to Lifeline are free. Lifeline will support everyone living in Northern Ireland regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability or sexuality. Lifeline is for anyone living in Northern Ireland who is struggling to cope or feeling overwhelmed by what is or what is not happening in their life.
Find out more here: https://www.lifelinehelpline.info/
Families’ Voices Forum
The Families Voices Forum are a regional group of family members bereaved by suicide. The Forum works collaboratively with partners to ensure that families’ voices of lived experience are at the heart of decision making, in the shift towards a co-designed, co-produced model of improvement that is responsive to community needs. Members work with both community and statutory partners to support engagement in consultations, reviews of policies, evaluations of services, development of literature and public guidance and the development and delivery of training. The Forum has also developed strong academic relationships and supports Universities and other research-based organisations, to help improve the understanding of the pathways around suicide.
Find out more here: https://www.dhcni.com/families-voices
Extern
Extern is a leading local charity operating across the island of Ireland, supporting around 25,000 people each year to change their lives. Operating for over 45 years, we believe another chance can change a life. Every day Extern works alongside children, young people, and families facing challenges to empower positive change and support family unity. We support people who are homeless or facing homelessness, those dealing with mental health issues and the impact of suicide, people experiencing problem drug and alcohol use and people living with problem gambling. We also support refugees, the Traveller community, and people who have been through the criminal justice system, to change their lives. As a charity, Extern strives for an inclusive and fair society; keeping children and their families together where possible; reducing offending and the impact of offending on victims and the community; that people have somewhere to live and that the people we work with are better equipped to live and make a contribution to their community. We are also the leading provider of placements for social work students in the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland.
Find out more here: https://www.extern.org/
MindWise
MindWise is a leading membership-based mental health charity in Northern Ireland. We have been working with and for people of all ages directly affected by mental health issues as well as families, carers, employers and teachers for over 50 years.
Find out more here: https://www.mindwisenv.org/
PAPYRUS NI
PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide is dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people under the age of 35. PAPYRUS was founded in 1997 by a group of bereaved parents, who had each lost children to suicide. Our founding parents shared core beliefs that suicide is preventable, and that those of us with lived experience of suicide have a valuable and unique contribution to make to the wider conversation around suicide. PAPYRUS has since grown into a UK-wide charity and we are a leading youth suicide prevention charity in the UK. Our suicide prevention helpline, HOPELINE247, is staffed by trained suicide prevention advisers, who work with young people – and anybody concerned for a young person or professionals who need to debrief – to help keep them safe from suicide. HOPELINE247 is a free and confidential call, text and email service, which is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. We deliver our suicide prevention education and training packages to thousands of people each year, to create suicide-safer communities across the UK. We also press for change to current legislation around suicide prevention on a regional and national level. The work we do centres around three key principles; Support, Equip and Influence.
Find out more here: https://www.papyrus-uk.org/
PIPS Suicide Prevention Charity
PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland Charity provides counselling and befriending support to individuals who are experiencing or have experienced suicidal thoughts or mental unwellness. PIPS Charity also provides support to families and friends who have been touched by suicide. Our life saving services provide direct support to individuals who are in need. We offer a free, confidential counselling service, with no restriction on the number of sessions provided. We also offer a crises walk in service in Belfast and a crisis telephone service at other locations during our opening hours.
Find out more here: https://pipscharity.com/
Samaritans
Every 10 seconds, Samaritans responds to a call for help. We’re here, day or night, for anyone who’s struggling to cope, who needs someone to listen without judgement or pressure. Samaritans is not only for the moment of crisis, we’re taking action to prevent the crisis. We give people ways to cope and the skills to be there for others. And we encourage, promote and celebrate those moments of connection between people that can save lives. We offer listening and support to people and communities in times of need. In prisons, schools, hospitals and on the rail network, Samaritans are working with people who are going through a difficult time and training others to do the same. Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy, and Samaritans’ vision is that fewer people die by suicide. That’s why we work tirelessly to reach more people and make suicide prevention a priority. Anyone can contact Samaritans for free any time from any phone on 116 123. Or email jo@samaritans.org
Find out more here: https://www.samaritans.org/
TAMHI
TAMHI (Tackling Awareness of Mental Health Issues) is a mental health charity that works with sports clubs, schools and youth clubs across Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland promoting mental health through play and sport. We deliver Mental Wealth Games our fun interactive education programme as our main tool which has proven to engage and entice conversation.
Find out more here: https://tamhi.org/
The Rainbow Project
The Rainbow Project is a health organisation that works to improve the physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ people and their families in Northern Ireland. We are devoted to improving the health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ people and their families in Northern Ireland, as well as those questioning their orientation or gender, through partnership, advocacy and the development and delivery of appropriate support services. We are the foremost LGBTQIA+ organisation in Northern Ireland and have two centres: one in Belfast city centre and the other in Derry.
Find out more here: https://www.rainbow-project.org/