Background Information on the Together for You Project
The need for a collaborative, ‘joined up’ approach to meeting Northern Ireland’s
mental health and wellbeing needs has long been recognised by the NI mental
health community. The Together for You Partnership represents a coming together
of 8 of Northern Ireland’s leading mental health charities to provide a seamless,
‘joined up’ and holistic approach to the delivery of mental health services across NI.
The Together for You project has recently been awarded funding by the Big Lottery
Fund and the project consortium which is being led by Action Mental Health (AMH)
includes Aware Defeat Depression, CAUSE, CRUSE, MindWise, Nexus NI, Praxis
Care and Relate NI, will work together to promote mental health and well being in
Northern Ireland.
The partnership will raise awareness of positive mental health and encourage early
intervention and provide intensive support services for people experiencing mental ill
health.
For the first time, a co-ordinated and joined up approach across the eight
organisations will support activities in each of the five Health and Social Care Trust
areas.
Activities over the next two and a half years will include working with school mental
health promotion, activities that promote well being in older people, campaigns to
reduce the stigma and discrimination of mental health, suicide/self harm and
bereavement support initiatives and improved psychological therapies.
This consortium considers that this partnership approach will allow:

Beneficiaries to benefit from complementary skills and experience which, when
combined, offer additional added value and greater impact not only at a
beneficiary level but also at community, organisational and funder/commissioner
levels

Effective collaboration maximising impact, best use of available resources and
‘best value’ as per good practice requirements outlined in mental health
promotion and recovery-focused commissioning frameworks for services and
government strategies

A better understanding of the mental health and wellbeing needs of the NI
population due to a sharing and joint analysis of people benefitting from the
service across NI. The partnership’s ability to use the learning gained is
effectively supported by that fact that each of the 8 partners have extensive
strategic and locality-based inputs to and representation on various statutory and
Community and Voluntary Sector mental health promotion and suicide and selfharm prevention forums.

The co-ordinated delivery of services across 100+ project sites spanning all 5
Health and Social Care Trusts in N. Ireland and covering urban and rural
localities. This geographical will facilitate the delivery of services to beneficiaries
in TSN areas, rural and urban communities and support the delivery of services
in areas where there is an under-developed infrastructure and/or acute
inequalities.
Mental Health in Northern Ireland – Some Fact and figures

In 2007 people in NI had twice the incidence of mental health disorders than
those in England1.

Research (2011) highlights that NI has the highest levels of post-traumatic stress
disorder in the world2

Figures for the cost of anti-depressants in Northern Ireland was £18 million –
more than twice the per capita spend in England3.

The Bamford Review (2007) the DHSSPS, organisations that deliver Health and
Social Care services and Government Departments have been tasked with
making changes to mental health and learning disability law, policy and services
in Northern Ireland.

There is need for local research and a current gap in data means it is difficult to
quantify mental health services or the degree of success these have had.4
DHSSPSNI [2007] Bamford Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability (Northern Ireland)
Ferry, F. (2011) The economic impact of post-traumatic stress disorder in NI, Centre for Trauma and
Transformation/Bamford Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, University of Ulster, Magee Campus.
3 Royal College of Psychiatrists (2010) Press release ‘Psychiatrists say promises for psychological therapies
in Northern Ireland must not be watered down’, 7 June
1
2
4
NIAMH (2009) A Flourishing Society - Aspirations for Emotional Health and Wellbeing in NI
Together for You - RELATE NI’s Service
Relate is deploying a team of three part-time counsellors to deliver counselling
services across the 5 Health and Social Care Trust areas in Northern Ireland.
This work will be promoted, developed and co-ordinated by a Project Coordinator.
As part of a holistic wraparound service provision with other consortium members,
Relate plans to deliver counselling services to individuals, carer(s), parent(s),
families, children and young people.
Relate also intends to promote and target take up of its services amongst men in the
context of their health and mental health to help address difficulties that men face at
the beginning, during or at end of their relationships. Men are more likely to lose
contact with children, more likely to take their own lives, less likely to enjoy the
support of a network of friends to help them pick up the pieces when they part ways
with their partner or wife. The service will also address relationship difficulties that
men may have with a child(ren), siblings and parents as well as their partners.
Relate therefore proposes to develop a strategy which will promote this service
where men gather using ‘male friendly’ language and imagery e.g. sports clubs and
events, farmers marts and social facilities.
Outcomes
Relate’s service aims to achieve two key outcomes:
1.
Families affected by mental health and emotional wellbeing difficulties will be
better equipped to deal with these issues, promote resilience factors and be
empowered to take decisions in the best interests of all family members.
2.
Men will increase their understanding of the importance of communication to
reduce isolation, sustain relationships and achieve positive mental health and
emotional wellbeing.
September 2013