The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
LIGHTING THE WAY ON MENTAL HEALTH
NEW ‘OPEN ARMS KERRY’ CENTRE WANTS TO REACH OUT TO THE COUNTY IN THE ONGOING BATTLE AGAINST MENTAL ILLNESS
A NEW group based on the second floor at 6 Lower Castle Street, Tralee, is hoping to do its bit in the fight against mental illness – an issue Gerard Collins describes as a humanitarian crisis.
Open Arms Kerry (OAK) aims to one day provide a 24hour service for those in crisis, and its 10-person committee intends to offer services such as mental health education, suicide awareness training, intervention skills, and coping skills for the whole county.
“Six Lower Castle Street, is the base for our new group, OAK, and the Kennelly family donated the space to us,” Gerard told The Kerryman. “Our paintwork has just finished, and our furniture is coming into place, bringing an end to weeks, months of hard work by a lot of people.
“OAK stems from the Open Arms Project and a meeting I had some seven years ago with a group that had just lost a sister and friend to suicide. Today, OAK has a 10-strong committee of volunteers, and we’ll all do our bit to stand up to what is a global humanitarian crisis. We won’t gain a penny in the process – this will be an entirely voluntary effort.
“The World Health Organisation [WHO] said that by 2030 mental illness will be the leading illness globally. I’m not blaming anyone for that, but it’s clear that service provision worldwide isn’t coping. We must take a stand, and that’s what OAK is here for.”
Gerard said that he hopes this new group can change how mental health issues are perceived, as well as providing additional support to those in crisis, something he says is sorely needed in Tralee and throughout the county.
“The oak is our symbol. When you enter Tralee Town Park around the corner, an oak, the mightiest of trees, is the first thing you see. Like the tree’s sprawling roots, a person’s mind is the root of their illness – and that’s what we’ll dig to,” he explained. “Our whole approach to mental health needs to change, and those who survive a suicide bid need massive support in the way that someone who is physically ill receives massive support.
“I know that suicide has rocked every part of Tralee. Since I came here from Cork, I’ve met dozens of families who’ve lost someone – and we want to do something to help Tralee, and indeed this whole county. Our ultimate aim at OAK is to provide 24-hour care for those in crisis but until then, we’ll offer a range of services: intervention skills, mental health education training, suicide awareness training, and talks on related matters like coping skills, which is some- thing we should all have in our locker.
“Every time someone dies by suicide, it has a massive impact on that person’s family. It has an impact on that person’s best mate. If your best mate has a girlfriend, it affects her, and then it will affect her family. Within all those circles
ANYONE WHO WANTS TO JOIN CAN PLAY THEIR PART, WHETHER THEY HAV E A DEGREE OR LEFT SCHOOL AT TEN. YOU DON’T NEED A DEGREE TO HAVE EMPATHY.
you can be sure there’s a lot of people who don’t know how to cope. We’ll reach out, and we’ll help this county’s people acquire skills and knowledge around mental health from a young age.”
On behalf of the group, he also emphasised that the door is open to anyone who wishes to help OAK as it establishes itself in Kerry.
“We have a committee with the work and life experiences to support this community. We have a lecturer in mental health, business people, public speakers, family support workers, and counsellors – and we’re constantly building to support Kerry.
“Anyone who joins us here can play a part. It doesn’t matter if you have a degree or left school at ten: we’ll take you on board if you’d like to help. You don’t need a degree to have empathy.”
“It’s at times like this I remember the five members of my family who died by suicide, We do this for people grappling with what they went through. We’d like to thank everyone who has donated or helped our cause so far, and if you want to help or get further information, you can phone (087) 683 9713.”