4858 Mental Health Report - National University of Ireland, Galway

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Findings from the Investigation of Cross-Border Collaborative Mental Health Promotion Practices bottom-up initiatives ranging from professionals working with women at risk of post-natal depression, people with a diagnosis of cancer, members of the general public, to participative projects with rural community groups and young men. The focus of the interventions span activities from the local community level to regional initiatives to those targeting an all-Ireland audience. Likewise, the interventions provided range from awareness raising, support groups, specialised training, programme development to direct service provision. The projects are at different stages of development from having recently commenced to ongoing and completed programmes. All are located in Northern Ireland and the border counties and involve a range of health boards, trusts, voluntary agencies and community groups to varying degrees. Background to the Projects The projects range in focus from multi-disciplinary training/service provision and resource development on a cross-border basis to the development of innovative strategies for addressing the shared mental health needs of young men, rural communities and the general public in the border region. Three of the five projects described are focused primarily at developing collaborative links at the professional level. Of the remaining two projects, one includes a specific community-based partnership approach and the other, concerned with support services for people with cancer, is very much a patient-centred initiative. Funding Four of the five case studies are discrete and structured projects, which are in receipt of dedicated funding from either the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation or CAWT. These projects also reported support from regional health boards, trusts and voluntary organisations. The support service for cancer patients is an example of a project established on an informal basis, with no current explicit funding for the cross-border work. However the initial cooperation between the cancer foundations North and South was initiated through funding from Co-operation North some 18 years earlier. Many of the project members interviewed commented that the presence of CAWT and Peace and Reconciliation monies made cross-border co-operation possible and allowed these initiatives to get off the ground. However they also pointed to the difficulties of short-term funding and the uncertainties surrounding continuity and sustainability. Evaluation The structured projects have explicit aims and objectives and include monitoring and evaluation methods to varying degrees of sophistication. In three of the projects the evaluation involves liaison with outside university researchers. Progress reports are produced by these projects on a regular basis and this may well reflect the requirements of the funding agencies. However it is interesting to note that only one project reports explicit evaluation of the objectives for 57
Findings from the Investigation of Cross-Border Collaborative Mental Health Promotion Practices cross-border co-operation, with one other project reporting that these are currently under consideration. In the case of remaining projects, the evaluation of the mechanism and process of cross-border working would appear to be largely implicit, with no explicit objectives being set for establishing evidence of effective cross-border collaborative working. Co-operation Structures The predominant co-operative structure employed appears to be that of a joint steering group composed of representatives from North and South. These groups typically include multi-disciplinary professional groups, together with community representatives in the case of the Promoting Positive Mental Health in Rural Communities project. In the case of the cancer project, this is an informal arrangement, which is co-ordinated by the Care Services Co-ordinator based in Northern Ireland. The nature of cross-border contact appears to be mainly through the mechanism of the steering groups. Meetings are generally held at 4-8 week intervals, with projects alternating the location of the meetings between North and South. Contact is primarily at a multi-disciplinary professional level across the statutory and voluntary agencies on a North-South basis. However many of the project interventions involve joint training and workshops for health workers, teachers and community members from both sides of the border. Almost all project activities involve a good deal of inter-agency and cross-sectoral collaboration both within and across regional structures. Perceptions of Cross-Border Working Project members who participated in the interview process were questioned concerning their initial motivation for involvement in cross-border collaborative work. The responses include: identifying a gap in service provision; extending an existing established service across the border; developing novel interventions, resources and materials to address common mental health needs in the border region. Eligibility for CAWT and Peace and Reconciliation funding prompted organisations to apply for ring fenced funding to develop these initiatives on a cross-border basis. Perceived Benefits The reported experience of cross-border working is very positive and overall it is viewed as a worthwhile and beneficial experience. 58
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A Report for the Centre For Cross B
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About the Authors Dr. Margaret Barr
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Acknowledgements We would like to t
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Page 10 and 11: Background and Rationale 1 There is
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References Adult Mental Health Serv
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References Department of Health and
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References Health Education Board f
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References Layte, R., Jenkinson, C.
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References Sindall, C. (1997) Inter
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Promoting Positive Mental Health: C
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Organisations which contributed to
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The Centre for Cross Border Studies
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4858 Mental Health Report - National University of Ireland, Galway

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