Photos by Leo George Devitt
“Doing the best we can” had a special visit from the Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Galliland and Cllr Dearbhail Butler recently.
The voluntary peer support network, located in Main Street Raheny, offers vital services, information and support to carers, parents and guardians indirectly affected by mental health difficulties within the family.
The organisation “cares for the carers” of children and young people with Mental Health difficulties offering support and guidance and encouraging self-care, wellbeing and self-empowerment to enable the parent/carer to get through this difficult journey.
Services provided concentrate on the parents understanding of their child’s difficulties, including who to contact for medical and peer support and how to deal with issues arising. From anxiety to psychosis they offer peer parental support, at no cost. Just some of the amazing support services offered include:
- One to one peer parental support
- Group Support
- Wellness Programme which includes yoga, meditation, art and crafts
- Awareness Collateral and Worksheets
There are many incredible benefits to being part of a peer support network such as improved mental health and wellness for carers of young people in crisis. Carers feeling more confident, informed and in control of their lives and develop coping mechanisms in the family unit, suspend bias and blame, and feel more empowered to achieve their own identified outcomes.
At Doing The Best We Can, a carers voice is listened to and heard and they become meaningful decision makers in their own child and family teams.
During the visit The Lord Mayor spoke with parents about their experiences with mental health services and the support they receive from “Doing The Best We Can”.
If you, or someone you know, are struggling with your child’s mental health difficulties, you can contact the organisation by private message here:
Facebook: Doing the best we can Parents /Guardians
Instagram: @doingthebestwecan