Talk To Tom is still providing services
GOREY’S mental health and suicide prevention charity Talk To Tom has been adapting its services under the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic and although things have been challenging, CEO Ray Cullen says that it’s a challenge they must face.
Mr Cullen explained that there has been an unprecedented amount of calls to the service, particularly from older people who are fearful and isolated as well as young people who are missing their social norms of seeing friends and being at school.
But despite this, service users have adjusted to the new regime which is mainly taking place online or over the phone, and there has been a large number of hits to the website as well as the new service launched earlier this year, Headspace Gorey.
‘During this crisis, people are panicking and lots of people are contacting us not knowing what to do. Over the last month, we’ve had three direct suicide interventions involving gardaí. Thankfully they all turned out okay and we have plans put in place for these people.
‘But as we can’t physically see people, the Headspace site has been huge and we have been uploading advice and tips for people which has seen a lot of people linking in onto the site and our own Talk To Tom website’.
He said that although the charity will take a financial hit as the shop in the locality is closed, thankfully the team have budgeted for the rainy day.
‘Although we didn’t expect a pandemic, we had been setting money aside after every fundraiser so thankfully us being frugal with our funding has enabled us to keep it going. The thinking behind that was that we have 40 to 50 vulnerable people, and if things took a turn for the worst we had to be able to complete treatment with them rather than pulling away. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if we hadn’t have been thinking that way. But in our eight years, this is the biggest challenge we’ve had.
‘We’ve managed to keep our direct links with people, as our therapists now talk to people over the phone or by video call. It took a little while for some to adjust, but it’s working now’.
With plans set in place to launch in Enniscorthy now put on hold, Ray is confident that the charity will sustain itself to the end of the crisis.
‘Getting ready to launch in Enniscorthy, we had brought extra therapists on board which we have set up but as the funds are all ring-fenced for Enniscorthy, this will still happen. We had been getting a huge amount of calls from Enniscorthy, so there is a huge gap to fill there.
‘I won’t say we’ll need to bounce back after this, but it will be better to have normality back to us. With our main source of income from the charity show being cut off at the knees, that’s massive as we still have the same overheads there like insurance, rent and bills. How long that’s going to be sustainable, we just don’t know’.
The next step may be a recruitment drive for volunteers, just to lend a listening ear in confidence as Talk To Tom is being inundated with calls.
‘We are getting all different types of calls. Some are just calling for somebody to talk to, those who are isolated. But we are getting a lot of calls from parents concerned about adolescents, who are having trouble keeping them inside and in check. So we are mainly giving people advice on coping. Our therapists and volunteers are working away and still providing all the services that were there before this, but we are getting calls from all over.
‘We are certainly seeing an increase in calls to us for help with suicidal thoughts or ideation. What is concerning is the lack access to services. Hospitals are not taking people in with the Covid-19 risk, so people are being left unfortunately where they can’t be admitted to hospital and even can’t attend their doctors appointments. But I will say that when people have made contact through us, the GPs have been fantastic’.
Future and current fundraisers for the charity have now been put on hold, which has been a let down for Talk To Tom.
If you would like to find out more about Talk To Tom or make a donation, details can be found on www.talktotom.ie and if you or someone you know need help, reach out to the helpline by calling or texting on (0818) 303061 or 087 2952999.
WE’VE MANAGED TO KEEP OUR DIRECT LINKS WITH PEOPLE OVER THE PHONE OR BY VIDEO CALL. IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE FOR SOME TO ADJUST, BUT IT’S WORKING NOW