Online local mental health resource now more accessible than ever, says HSE

The most comprehensive resource of wellbeing, mental health promotion and suicide prevention initiatives in Roscommon is now more accessible than ever with the launch of the redesigned West Be Well website.

Established in 2020, the West Be Well group, which also includes Mayo and Galway, collaborates with the HSE, Connecting for Life - Ireland's national strategy to prevent suicide - the Children and Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC) and Mindspace Mayo. It is supported by Healthy Ireland.

One of the first initiatives of its kind, it promotes timely, safe, evidence-based mental health messages and local and national mental health supports and services by the HSE or other state-funded services as well as mental health and suicide prevention education and training programmes and events across a multi-channel digital platform.

The West Be Well website is a key feature of this platform and has just been completely redesigned with the aim of delivering an enhanced experience for users of the resource.

The site contains a wealth of general wellness-related information pertaining to topical issues like health and wellbeing, anxiety, and grief. It also includes a dedicated section about young people and mental health issues.

Peadar Gardiner is Project Manager with Mindspace Mayo which offers free and confidential support to young people aged 12-15 years. He is also a member of the West Be Well group and welcomes the resource it provides stating; “We are delighted to be one of the organisations listed on the local support section. It provides a comprehensive directory of services and supports that deal with the many issues that can impact wellness and mental health.”

The site also features a news and events blog that details the latest information on services, supports, resources and events relating to wellness and mental health both at a local and national level.

The website also has a section dedicated to providing information on emergency supports that can be accessed 24/7 by or on behalf of anyone in crisis.

A new addition to the redesigned website is the resources page – a compendium of helpful information on issues people may be struggling with. These resources include online publications, videos and programmes and site users can also find details of suicide prevention training courses under the training opportunities section.

Commenting on the launch of the new-look West Be Well website, Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Ms Mary Butler, said; “I am delighted to see the development of the West Be Well website. I am confident it will be a trusted resource for anyone who may be experiencing mental health difficulties and their family and friends in the local area.”

She continued; “The launch of this website reflects the Government and the HSE’s on-going commitment to enhance our mental health services and supports. It takes immense courage to seek help from mental health services and it is our responsibility to ensure people have access to timely, safe, evidence-based supports when they are in need of help. I firmly believe the West Be Well website will help to ensure people in the Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon areas have access to appropriate information and supports for their mental health.”

West Be Well is happy to share news, events, and resources of relevance on its website and social media channels. Details can be supplied via the Submit Events tab on the website where the inclusion criteria are set out or by emailing comms@westbewell.ie

West Be Well operates Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts and members of the public are encouraged to follow the group and help share the valuable resources it promotes so that as many people as possible have access to this helpful information should they need it.

Supporting the official launch of the redesigned website, Breda Crehan-Roche, Chief Officer, Community Healthcare West stated, “I welcome the creation and development of the West Be Well website, the first of its kind in this region. This is an invaluable resource for those looking to find trustworthy supports and services across Community Healthcare West. I wish to compliment all those involved in its development.”