Clear Forum: Addressing Mental Health, Wellbeing, and Suicide Prevention in Our Communities

Clear Forum: Addressing Mental Health, Wellbeing, and Suicide Prevention in Our Communities

The Clear Forum’s recent "Reach, Remit, Referral" event at Omagh Enterprise Centre brought together 53 participants from community, voluntary, and statutory organisations to discuss vital topics in mental health, emotional wellbeing, and suicide prevention. The event, held on March 5th, provided a platform for sharing insights, resources, and strategies to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in mental health today.

The discussions were timely, coinciding with the review of actions under the Protect Life 2 Strategy, Northern Ireland's suicide prevention plan. Attendees explored critical questions like:

• "Where can I go for help?"
• "What services are available?"
• "How can I access them?"
• "Can these services help me support others?"

Three key messages resonated throughout the day:

1. Help and support are available right now.
2. Suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility.
3. Support for younger people must be prioritised.

Expert Insights from the Forum

The event featured compelling talks from speakers specialising in mental health and suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. Here’s a snapshot of the invaluable insights shared:

• Lifeline Helpline: Mark McKernohan highlighted Lifeline’s 24/7 support (0808 808 8000), staffed by trained counsellors offering guidance and counselling through self-referral or third-party referral. Resources are also available for professionals and family members supporting someone in distress.
• Self-Harm Intervention Programme (SHIP): Conor McCafferty from Zest NI explained SHIP’s focus on reducing self-harm incidents and building coping strategies. Referrals are made through mental health practitioners, and the service provides psychological support and psycho-education for clients and families.
• AWARE NI Services: Stephen McCrudden detailed AWARE’s diverse programs, including mental health support groups, educational initiatives, workplace training, and mindfulness programs. Over 17,000 individuals have benefited from their training, highlighting the program’s reach and impact.
• Clear Project Training and Funding: The Clear Project provides free evidence-based training on mental health, emotional wellbeing, and suicide prevention for community and voluntary groups in the Western Trust area. In addition, the project administers the Making Life Better Short Term Funding scheme, offering grants up to £5,000 for community initiatives and up to £500 for sports equipment funding.
• Northern Ireland Registry of Self-Harm and SD1 Process: Kathy Owens from the Public Health Agency explained the SD1 process, which ensures bereaved families receive support after a suspected suicide. The registry’s data collection informs future service planning and identifies trends to improve prevention strategies.
• Bereaved by Suicide Service: Fidelis Simpson from Western Health and Social Care Trust outlined the services available for families bereaved by suicide. These include practical and emotional support, referrals, and follow-ups to ensure long-term care and connection to support networks.
• ComKit Tool: Mark Gibney introduced ComKit, an online toolkit providing practical guidance for managing heightened suicide concerns. It offers empathetic communication resources, memorial guidance, and social media tips, positioning itself as a model of best practice.

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Moving Forward: Strengthening Collaboration and Support

The Clear Forum reinforced the importance of collaboration among community, voluntary, and statutory organizations. It highlighted the need for continued conversations around mental health and practical, accessible resources to meet community needs.

Clear Project Manager Brenda Morris emphasized the value of feedback from attendees:"As the Community & Voluntary representative on the Western Protect Life Implementation Group, I would love to hear your thoughts on the challenges you face and how we can improve services moving forward."

The Clear Project, as part of Developing Healthy Communities and funded by the Public Health Agency, remains dedicated to delivering training, funding, and resources to enhance mental health and wellbeing across the region. Together, we can ensure that help is not only available, but also accessible to those who need it most.

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