Homes throughout Kerry will receive a free copy of a new mental wellness services directory in the post over the coming week.
The Killarney-based voluntary group, Be Aware Prevent Suicide, is distributing 56,000 free copies of ‘Minding Our Minds: A Guide to Supports and Services’ throughout Kerry in a mail shot between December 10th and December 18th.
A further 24,000 will be distributed free of charge to the IT Tralee and to every secondary school in Kerry.
Group Founder Deirdre Fee is also urging the public to raise the issue of mental health funding with politicians and canvassers in the coming months.
Raising Mental Health Issues
“Please think of raising the mental health issue when election canvassers and politicians call to the door,” Deirdre Fee said. “We need to lobby them to set up a national suicide prevention body the equivalent of the National Roads’ Authority.”
“This should not be a political football,” she said. “There should be a cross-party agreement to put a budget in place to promote mental wellness.”
The free directory is the most ambitious project to date of ‘Be Aware ! Prevent Suicide’, which is committed to being a bridge between the community in Kerry and mental wellness service providers, both voluntary and statutory.
Statutory Services
The 64-page guide lists 220 voluntary and statutory services. In addition to the listings, there are articles by South Kerry Coroner Terence Casey, Jim Breen of Cycle Against Suicide, Education Consultant Brenda Healy, Psychiatrist Dr Darra Phelan, Breathing Coach Eoin Burns and Deirdre Fee.
Its production has been made possible by the generosity of Kerry individuals and firms who support the ongoing work of Be Aware Prevent Suicide. Group Founder Deirdre Fee said the directory will serve the group’s aim of de-stigmatising mental health issues by talking about them, by informing the community about the signs, the symptoms, as well as the help and support that is available.
Mind our Minds
“By working together and talking to each other we can mind our minds and the minds of our families and community,” she said.
She appealed to people to put the directory in a safe place in their homes, should they or a friend or relative need information and advice on the services to access.
The mail shot will not cover houses with ‘No Junk Mail’ stickers. Those who do not receive a directory or groups and companies looking for copies should contact Deirdre Fee at 086-2308788. Also, donations to help defray the outstanding cost of the directory and its postage would be welcome.
