NOTE: To be eligible to participate in the programmes below, clients need to be referred to the Occupational Therapy department by a member of the multidisciplinary team from their respective Community Health Centre, the Occupational Therapy Department will assess for suitable recovery focused group interventions and make recommendations;
Yoga and Movement Specialist
Yoga and Movement Specialist (YAMS)
Our Yoga and Movement Specialist ‘Vivian Brodie Hayes’ delivers a programme that focuses on dance, movement and yoga as accessible activities for HSE mental health service users enabling well-being and recovery. In 2018, this programme began with one block of dance sessions in Enniscorthy through a Creative Communities grant. In 2019 Vivian was contracted by the HSE and the programme evolved based on clients’ therapeutic needs and interests, to include the modality of yoga as well as dance across the life span including child and adolescent, adults and later life.
In 2020, the WMHA in partnership with the HSE employed Vivian for 14.8hors per week.
Pre Covid-19, individual yoga and dance sessions continued to be delivered across the county. During Covid, Yoga and Movement Specialist (YAMS) has been an integral resource to the WMHA and the OT department in adapting to respond to service users’ needs across all services i.e. videos, audios, postal packs and outdoor sessions. YAMS, in conjunction with OT, also facilitated individual sessions with clients to focus on specific needs and the therapeutic needs led fund also supported the successful pilot of a yoga programme for MHID service users.
This programme is project managed and supervised by Senior Occupational Therapists Ciaradh Walsh and Mairead Connaughton.
The WMHA and OTs have received extremely positive feedback from service users outlining the positive impacts this has had in maintaining mental health during this crisis pandemic period. Please see video developed by YAMS and the project team which provides an overview of the YAMS service provision https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9EuhzjWDAI&feature=youtu.be
Key partners: HSE, WMHA
Sports Programme
The Wexford Mental Health Services Sports Programme originated in 2007 and now comprises of weekly physical activity interventions ongoing throughout the year, including circuit training and weekly team sports together with periodic interventions such FAI coaching, Tag Rugby, outdoor adventure days. There are also group holidays and a psychoeducational programme that vary in approach and project partners and co-produced interventions as well as participating in wider community and educational forums. Our key partners include Ollie Gogherty, St Joseph’s Community Sports Hall, Sports Active Wexford, HSE amongst many other community partners.
MEO
The music exploration officer is a recent programme, commenced in November 2016 with the employment of Emily Redmond local well known professional musician. The role of the project is to promote recovery be enabling access to, engagement in and exposure to music and music related events for wide range of individuals predominantly within Wexford County based receiving services from the rehabilitation and community sectors of the Wexford/Waterford Mental Health Services.
