SPOTLIGHT ON
Child Care in Practice presents "Spotlight On" where we showcase the work being undertaken by a partner organisation. This month, we are shining the spotlight on St. Patrick's Mental Health Services. Read more below.
CCiP PRESENTS SPOTLIGHT ON....
St Patrick's Mental Health Services (SPMHS) is Ireland's largest independent, not-for-profit mental health service. We provide community and outpatient care through our Dean Clinics and day patient services through our Wellness and Recovery Centre. We offer a multidisciplinary inpatient service through our three approved centres: St Patrick’s University Hospital (241 beds); St Patrick's, Lucan (52 beds); and Willow Grove Adolescent Unit (14 beds). We also provide a Homecare Service and remote access to our services through phone, video or online channels.
Our vision is to see a society where all citizens are empowered and given the opportunity to live mentally healthy lives. We work to provide the highest quality mental healthcare, to promote mental wellbeing and mental health awareness, and to advocate for the rights of those experiencing mental health difficulties. We achieve this through a human rights-based approach, through the enhancement of evidence-based knowledge, and by striving to be at the cutting-edge of new initiatives and advances in the field. SPMHS is a registered charity (Charity Registration Number (CRN): CHY 209). For information visit
Walk in My Shoes
Walk in My Shoes (WIMS) is the flagship awareness-raising and education campaign of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS). WIMS was first established in 2012 when a young man in SPMHS said he wished his friends could walk in his shoes to understand how he was feeling. Since then, thousands of students and teachers from across Ireland have gotten involved, and have been at the forefront of starting a very important conversation about mental health.
Ways to get involved
Walk in My Shoes runs a number of campaigns and events throughout the year to promote positive mental health, and there are lots of ways that teachers, students and parents can get involved, spark conversation, tackle stigma and foster wellbeing. Campaigns include: MindYourSelfie, WIMS Live, Transition Year Programme, Frameof Mind, Mission Possible. Click on each image below to learn more or read the text below.
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#MindYourSelfie
#MindYourSelfie is our annual social media campaign, which we host to encourage conversations around mental health. Every year on #MindYourSelfie Day, we want as many people as possible to see and use the #MindYourSelfie hashtag on social media to raise awareness about the importance of looking after our mental health. The day also marks the launch of a new wellbeing support, which, over the years, has included everything from Wellness Journals and mindfulness colouring sheets to eBooks and classroom film guides. #MindYourSelfie Day 2021 takes place on Thursday, 27 May, inviting people to tell us of the things they’ve learned to mind their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re also hosting an online event on #MindYourSelfie Day on youth mental health and resilience.
TY Programme
The Transition Year (TY) Programme is a one-week mental health awareness programme, conducted by clinical staff from St Patrick’s Mental Health Services. The programme includes numerous interactive elements and activities, including the mock multidisciplinary team meeting, adapted for online delivery, and project work to develop mental health presentations, which students deliver online during the programme itself and, later, in their schools when they return to class. Every session in the programme is imagined and designed with a virtual audience in mind to ensure students get a full, engaging and beneficial experience which builds their mental health awareness and gives them first hand insight into the delivery of mental health care and treatment. Applications for the 2021/22 programme are now open.
WIMS Live
WIMS Live is an exciting, week-long programme of online events, activities and curated content to mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October. WIMS Live aims to bring people together after what has been a challenging time for everyone, and shine a light on the things we can all do to look after ourselves and each other. In 2020, we were joined by some brilliant presenters, special guests and mental health ambassadors for a diverse, interactive programme across a variety of channels, from livestreams and online events to podcasts and social media takeovers. You can catch up on all WIMS Live 2020 content here. WIMS Live 2021 is going bigger and better. We’ll be running a month-long programme of online events from 27 September to 22 October, including interviews, workshops, social media takeovers, webinars, wellbeing sessions and lots more… Stay tuned!
Frame of Mind
Frame of Mind is an annual short film and TikTok competition which aims to improve mental health awareness and remove the stigma associated with mental health difficulties. The competition is open to secondary schools and general amateur filmmakers to submit a short film, up to three minutes long, or TikTok, which share affirming mental health messages or tackle misconceptions. Details of the next round of the competition will be shared later in 2021.
Mission Possible
Mission Possible is a school achievement awards programme that recognises the roles our schools play in promoting positive mental health. The awards celebrate the unique projects underway in primary and secondary schools across Ireland to raise awareness of mental health and combat stigma within school and the wider community. The winners of the 2021 Mission Possible awards were announced during an online ceremony on 21 April. The top primary and secondary school in each category received a €600 prize and every participating school receiving a certificate. Some of the winning initiatives included a feelings chart; a ‘Pay It Forward’ campaign; digital detox; virtual check-ins; and a sensory garden. Details of the next awards will be shared later in the year.
Useful resources for students, teachers and parents and guardians
School Portal
The WIMS School Portal is a secure private online platform that enables school staff to highlight and share what they are doing in their schools, classrooms and communities to promote positive mental health and wellbeing. School staff can upload their projects and share ideas, and in turn, see what other schools are doing in relation to wellbeing and mental health promotion.
Surveys
Close to 1,500 parents across Ireland took part in a survey in June 2020, carried out in conjunction with the National Parents Council Primary (NPC), to explore the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children’s mental health. WIMS and the NPC will be surveying parents again in June 2021 to compare the findings. Read last year’s results here.
Mental health information and tips Blogs, podcasts and mental health information
Blogs, podcasts and mental health information
Wellbeing activities for young people
Nurturing ourselves with self-care | WIMS Wellbeing Webinar for Young People
Exploring mental health careers | Information for students, teachers and parents
Supporting Someone with a Mental Health Difficulty: Advice from Mental Health Professionals
Classroom Presentation on Mental Health | Primary Schools
Classroom Presentation on Mental Health | Secondary Schools
Recent Events
Webinar: Youth Mental Health: Staying Resilient
To mark #MindYourSelfie Day this year we’re hosting an online event on 27 May to celebrate the bright and hopeful time ahead of us after a difficult year. #MindYourSelfie is our annual social media campaign aiming to encourage conversations and awareness around mental health. In 2021, we're celebrating positivity as we move out of the most difficult phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last year, we've faced lockdowns and health concerns, missed important moments with friends and families, and felt times of isolation and grief. We'll be exploring all the learnings we can take from the challenges of the last year, and how we can stay resilient as we adjust to these changes and cope with anxieties we might feel around it. From BelongTo, ISPCC and SpunOut to St Patrick's Mental Health Services and Comhairle na nÓg, our guests will be sharing tips for staying well as we begin to return to a more normal way of life. Watch the webinar event recording here
Sign up to WIMS and SPMHS eNewsletter
Click here to sign up to the WIMS digital newsletter. We will send you news and updates on our mental health resources, events, podcasts and campaigns.
Connect with WIMS and SPMHS
Contact WIMS and SPMHS
Website: walkinmyshoes.ie
Email: info@walkinmyshoes.ie
Phone: 01 2493632
Support and Information Line: 01 2493333 or info@stpatsmail.com
St Patrick’s Mental Health Services’ Support and Information Line and email service is staffed by experienced mental health nurses from 9am–5pm, every Monday to Friday, with an answering and call-back facility outside these hours.