Exchange House launches a new mental health service on Tuesday, 11^th June 2013. The Travelling to Wellbeing Service is a recovery oriented mental health service for Travellers with locations in North & West Cork, Offaly & Dublin.

The Travelling to Wellbeing Service is to pilot a culturally appropriate recovery model of service with at least 40 clients. The project, through a community development approach, aims to reduce the stigma around mental health and suicide in the Traveller community, develop and support individualised recovery plans/programmes with Travellers experiencing mental health issues and address inequalities by working with Travellers and service providers to deepen their understanding, improve referral pathways and aid recovery. There is a dedicated team of 4 staff; 3 qualified mental health social workers and a mental health family support worker who is a qualified Art Therapist. 

We believe that a number of aspects of how the service has been designed will provide critical learning and signposts for social inclusion and mental health service in the future.   Firstly by reducing stigma and promoting positive mental health is an empowering model of service provision; secondly, the recovery model is one which the client/individual develops themselves, it is unique to them and therefore the level of participation from the client is very high; and thirdly by developing a recovery model which takes into account Traveller culture is breaking new ground and will be a useful resource for Travellers but also for a wide range of other services.

For more information, or to avail of this service contact the following centres:

• Exchange House National Traveller Service - Dublin - 01 872 1094
• Offaly Traveller Movement - Tullamore - 057 935 2438
• Travellers of North Cork - Doneraile - 022 71034
• West Cork Traveller Centre - Clonakilty - 023 883 5039