News Archive
Minister Kathleen Lynch T.D. launches certificate in Mental Health in the Community
We at ACE are delighted to work in partnership with Mental Health Ireland to deliver a new certificate course in Mental Health in the Community.
Speaking at its official launch in March, Minister Kathleen Lynch T.D. said
‘We need to continue talking about mental health and to do it loudly. This Certificate in Mental Health in the Community brings mental health out of the shadows and starts the conversation at a community level. Each and every one of us should be able to change someone’s world and this is my hope for the people who complete this programme.’
A pilot certificate programme was completed in UCC in January 2015. The course is currently running in Tralee and will commence in Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Athlone and UCC in September 2015. Also at the launch was course lecturer Rory Doody who spoke about his own struggles with mental health issues, believing at one point that having a mental health issue was a life sentence. Rory said
‘I’ve had an amazing journey of lifelong learnings which have impacted greatly on my recovery. My hope for this programme is to educate people about the importance of good mental health and in creating community led resources to support people to recovery.’
This is an exciting new programme for ACE, which builds on the strength of some of our other community based offerings. The course will develop peoples’ knowledge and skills in mental health promotion and participants will explore ‘community’ as a resource in responding to the challenges of mental ill health; engaging with case examples and best practice frameworks.