Today (Thursday 7th December), Connecting for Life Carlow was launched – a new suicide prevention and self-harm plan for the County, which is the local implementation of Connecting for Life, Ireland's National Strategy to Reduce Suicide 2015-2020.
Download Connecting for Life Carlow here.
Facilitated by the HSE, Connecting for Life Carlow is the result of a comprehensive process of consultation and engagement. It involved the people of Co Carlow and those who provide services to them, developing a roadmap to address suicide and self-harm in the area from now until 2020. The HSE facilitated process brought together a steering group from across Co Carlow and a consultation process followed, which included public forums featuring in-depth discussions reflective of the complex issues that are suicide and self-harm.
Deputy Mayor of Carlow County Council, Cllr John Cassin was joined at today's launch in Carlow College by Ms Aileen Colley (Chief Officer, HSE/South East Community Healthcare), Ms Tracy Nugent (Regional Resource Officer for Suicide Prevention, HSE/South East Community Healthcare), Mr Martin Smith (Chaplain, Carlow Institute of Technology), Oireachtas members for the Carlow/Kilkenny constituency, representatives from Carlow County Council, the Gardaí and various voluntary agencies and community groups. The audience at the launch also included mental health service users from the Carlow area, people bereaved by suicide and those from communities across the County who contributed during public meetings, focus groups and through submissions to the formation of Connecting for Life Carlow.
Visit yourmentalhealth.ie to search for supports in Carlow, and information on what to do when someone tells you they are suicidal or at risk of self harm.