It’s okay not to feel okay

By cypscAdmin, Friday, 28th April 2017 | 0 comments
Filed under: Health, Participation, Youth.

Promoting positive mental health was the theme of the West Cork Youth Mental Health Day that took place recently.   

The event called "Its Okay Not to Feel Okay" was held on the 9th March with participants coming from twelve schools.  Over 160 students were in attendance.  The event was opened by Martin Mulchrone of West Cork Mental Health Services and the day included a variety of presentations and workshops to promote and raise awareness of positive mental health.

The following presentations commenced in the morning

In her presentation Tracey Holt told those in attendance about Cork CYPSC giving a brief overview of the committee’s purpose and it's priority action area, which is the Social and Emotional wellbeing of children and young people. Tracey explained that social and emotional wellbeing affects all areas of our lives and that a key element of good emotional wellbeing is having a 'Voice' and being heard.

Tracey informed the students taking part in the day that Cork CYPSC is developing a three year plan for children and young people and wants to hear the 'Voice' of young people to help develop that plan.

Tracey said

 

"We want to hear from you what’s important to young people, what barriers there are to having your voices heard and anything else that’s important to young people’s social and emotional wellbeing."

 

At the event the young people were invited to share their thoughts through anonymously answering three questions or by attending a facilitated workshop. The three questions asked were:

 

Question 1: What are the three most important issues for young people that adults need to listen to?

Quote from one young person

‘Adults should listen to children when they have any problem no matter how big or small it may seem. Children should not feel their problem is trivial. Parents are not expected to have immediate answers, but to be someone who listens’.

 

Question 2: What supports do you think should be available to young people for their positive wellbeing?

Quote from one young person

‘Have somewhere people can talk to a trusting adult confidentially’.

 

Question 3: What do you think would encourage young people to participate and speak up about issues that affect your lives?

Quote from one young person

'Start speaking about it from a young age to make it a normal thing to talk about’.

 

Thirteen young people participated in an afternoon workshop. The aim of this workshop was to inform the young people of the five national outcomes for children and young people, to hear what the outcomes mean to them and to listen to their ideas in relation to what is important for Cork CYPSC's plan under those 5 national outcomes.

 

There was a focus on three of the national outcomes, i.e. that children and young people are:

  • Active and Healthy, with physical and mental wellbeing
  • Safe and protected from harm
  • Connected and respected and contributing to their world

and the young people produced collages representing what is important to them.

The young people were informed that this information would be taken back to the Cork CYPSC to inform the development of the three-year CYPSC plan, added to the national CYPSC website and that feedback would also be given to the Mental Health Forum.

 

 

To read the full report on "Its Okay Not to Feel Okay" Click here

To read more about Reach Out Click here

To read more about Cork CYPSC Click here