Western Trust promotes Recovery College on World Mental Health day

by Gráinne Connolly

Today marks World Mental Health day (10th October) and the Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust) are 'turning the trust' yellow to highlight the issue. 

As part of promoting mental health well-being and recovery, representatives from the trust's Recovery College set up a stall at the Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex. 

Q Radio spoke to Stephen Donnelly, team manager of the Omagh community mental health team and Olive Young, the Recovery College Co-Ordinator of the Western Trust. 

Stephen says the Recovery College is one of the biggest shifts they've seen in mental health over recent years that focuses on the recovery ethos. 

Olive has been co-ordinating the Recovery College and says it has proven helpful to both people who suffer with mental health illnesses, as well as their family and friends who attend the courses. 

A range of free educational course and workshops are available for people living in the Western Trust area for those interested and are delivered by professionals, as well as individuals who can provide first hand experiences. 

Courses offered this term include: 

Living beyond Depression and Low Mood 

Living well with bipolar 

Manage your panic

Getting a Good Night's Sleep

Finding your voice 

Learning to like yourself

Creative Recovery and Wellness Recovery Action Plan
 

Courses are open to everyone and will be delivered at the following Western Trust locations: 

Central Library Derry/L'Derry 

Melvin Sports Complex, Strabane

Omagh Library Headquarters

Fermanagh House, Enniskillen 

To enrol or find out more information about the courses you can go to the Western Trust website: http://www.westerntrust.hscni.net/services/3363.htm

College Co-Ordinator, Olive Young is encouraging as many people as possible to take advantage of the services, especially those who may need the support and help. 

"They're not huge numbers, we keep our class sizes small, you're not asked to do a lot of writing or anything like that. 

"It's a very friendly, informal setting because we do understand that in can sometimes be really difficult to come into a room or into a group of people that you haven't met before. 

"If you just even want to come along and sit in and listen there's no pressure at all to speak up in these classes.

"The majority of people do go away and like the atmosphere and do enjoy the 2 hours."