An out-of-hours free adult mental health service has opened across the road from University Hospital Galway.
Galway Community Mental Health cafe is open from Thursdays to Sundays from 6.30pm to 11.30pm and is based in the Mr Waffle cafe. The cafe will continue to operate as normal during the daytime.
The new service, which opened earlier this month, aims to provide a safe environment for people experiencing mental health challenges. It has been designed by people with “lived” experience of mental health issues and is staffed by people with both lived experience and training to provide peer support, assist individuals to access services, and to provide social connections.
Staff member Danni De Burca said it was exciting to see the project reach fruition. “There were others before me that were involved in getting the project to this stage. I would have benefited greatly from a café like this when I was unwell. A safe, relaxed environment with understanding and compassionate people can do wonders for positive mental health outcomes.”
The project is co-funded by the Service Reform Fund and the HSE Mental Health Services. Charlie Meehan, the head of the mental health services, stated that improving community mental health services is a major priority for this Community Healthcare West organisation.
“We are proud to be launching this innovative new service. This new development is in line with international best practice and has demonstrated how users of the service can come together to design and run a service for those experiencing mental health distress. It is really an inspirational development and leads the way for the future development of community mental health services in Ireland.”
Due to the pandemic a “book a table” system is in place to avail of this service. For further information on the service and how to book a table in the café visit www.galwaycommunitycafe.ie For further information on the café, click the video link or go to YouTube and search Community Healthcare West.