Background to the initiative

The Galway Training Centre was established in 1994 in Merlin Park, Galway. The Centre is a HSE day service for people who experience mental health problems.

The Centre adopts the ‘Model of Care for People with Severe and Enduring Mental Illness and Complex Needs’ and delivers rehabilitation and recovery support for adults ages 18 – 80 years plus.

The Training Centre encourages social inclusion and community involvement, promotes independent living and all activities prioritise the autonomy of the Service User and a person-centered approach.

During Round 3 of the Healthy Ireland programme, a staff member participated in Healthy Food Made Easy (HFME) training and spoke with the Healthy Galway City Coordinator about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Training Centre and its’ service users. Several staff members had been absent on long term sick leave or had retired, reducing access to services and supports such as arts classes, IT skills and outings. The centre was operating with minimal staff and because of the demand on the centres’ transport, group and day outings were no longer feasible. Suddenly the world for service users had grown very narrow.

Following participation in existing Healthy Galway City (HGC) programme ‘Woodlands for Health’, the staff and Service Users of Merlin Training Centre explored the possibility of designing a bespoke Creative Wellbeing Programme. There was a sense of loss of independence and confidence as Service Users had gone so long without regular programmes. It was agreed that the Programme should be based around holistic therapeutic approaches, person-centered and meet participants at their level.

Co designed solution created and implemented

Following consultation between staff, Service Users and the Healthy Galway City Coordinator, the ‘Building Resilience for Life’ project was developed.

The ‘Autumn Wellbeing’ programme and the ‘Chill and Crafts’ course were identified as preferred options by Service Users. The ‘Autumn Wellbeing’ programme is a 6-week programme with mindfulness practice, emotional awareness, communication skills and building resilience. ‘Chill and Crafts’ is a series of 8 workshops to promote relaxation, creativity and wellbeing during the winter season and is designed and delivered by a Mental Health Art and Craft Facilitator. Activities combine mindfulness and stress reduction through crafting and confidence building through their accomplishments.

The ‘Autumn Wellbeing’ programme was designed  by a Wellness Coach and Facilitator, in partnership with the staff and Service Users of the centre. The six-week programme ran in Autumn 2023 and covered topics that were identified for their relevance to the participants including introduction to mindfulness, emotional awareness, listening and communication skills, resilience, setting goal and harnessing clarity and focus.

The ‘Chill and Crafts’ series was designed in a similar fashion. Mental Health Art & Craft Facilitator Joanna Kasinska focused on topics such as emotional expression, improving self-esteem, stress reduction and problem-solving using techniques such as paper folding, ornament making, centerpieces, card making and paper crafts.

Positive outcomes reported by participants and tutors

In total, 38 Service Users participated in the ‘Building Resilience for Life’ programmes between October and December 2023. The programmes were extremely popular and feedback was very positive. Services Users felt connected with the Tutors, better able to cope with life’s stressors and more able to appreciate the positive aspects of everyday life. Staff also reported benefits from the programme, including their growing confidence in consulting with Service Users, developing innovative activities, better practice and accessing funding.

The uptake and attendance for both programmes were very good; Services Users seemed eager to participate in new and interesting activities after years of reduced services. Staff and Services Users reported that the programmes were a good incentive to get up and get out of the house and that they had felt better able to advocate for themselves through their involvement in the courses.

Staff also felt that they learned a lot about the Service Users through their involvement and saw a new side to them as they grew in confidence and ‘came out of their shells’.

The programmes promoted qualities such as competence, confidence, building trust, and demonstrating vulnerability in a group setting.

According to Staff, the atmosphere within the centre has improved, and that there is ‘more of a sense of belonging’ amongst staff and Service Users. They also spoke on the learning process of networking and developing contacts with Tutors and Community groups to enrich the offerings through the centre for the benefit of everyone.

 ‘I am safe, I am strong, I am loved, you’ve got this!’ Participant A

‘I enjoy the openness of each person sharing their stories and how they overcome their mental health (difficulties)’ Participant  B

‘Being mindful, and in the present moment, not worrying about the past or future’ Participant C

Positive evaluation result

The ‘Building Resilience for Life’ programme increased the levels of positive mental health as per the the Energy and Vitality index and 81% of participants rated the programme as ‘Very Good’ or ‘Excellent’.

Evaluations following the programme indicate that participants experienced a reduction in social isolation, learned relaxation and stress reduction techniques, incorporated breathing exercises into their daily life and felt empowered to discuss their mental health struggles.

If you would like to learn more about this initiaitive please contact the Healthy Galway Coordinator