SUPPORTING THE GREEN RIBBON

A HOW TO GUIDE HEADING

Aim of Workshop The aim of the workshop is to provide participants with a working knowledge of the Employment Equality Acts 1998 – 2015 with a focus on mental health and reasonable accommodation.

Structure of Workshop The workshop is designed to run for three hours and a includes 15-minute break.

Methodology Small and large group work analysing summaries of real cases, brought and heard under Employment Equality legislation, with a focus on mental health, absence and return to work.

Overhead slides will be used to inform and support facilitated discussion and will be available to participants post workshop attendance.

2 SUPPORTING THE GREEN RIBBON: A HOW TO GUIDE

CONTENTS

Introduction to See Change 4

The Green Ribbon Campaign 5

Why organise your own event? 6

Tips on talking about mental health. 7

Supporting the campaign online

Suggestion of events 8

Walk and Talks

Workplace Coffee Mornings 9

Mental Health Fair 10

Going Green Town Initiative 12

Light up green 14

Help and Support Information 15

3 INTRODUCTION TO SEE CHANGE

See Change is Ireland’s National Mental See Change in the Workplace Health Stigma Reduction Partnership. Programme We are in partnership with over 100 Irish See Change identified the workplace organisations and work together to open as a key setting for social change minds about mental health problems around attitudes towards mental and end stigma and discrimination. health difficulties. Our goal is to help facilitate a cultural shift in workplaces See Change’s vision is that every person so that employers and employees feel in Ireland can be open and positive about supported and secure in starting a mental health, understanding it as a discussion about how mental health can normal part of the ups and downs of life. affect each of us.

Research conducted by See Change in Creating workplace environments where 2017 showed that 4 in 10 people would people can be open and positive about conceal a mental health difficulty from their own and others’ mental health: family, friends or colleagues. • Promotes overall organisational and With this in mind, See Change works to individual wellbeing reduce stigma in a number of ways. • Reduces absenteeism The Ambassadors A group of people with lived experience • Enhances employee stress of mental health difficulties, who management skills share their stories to spark a national conversation. See Change ambassadors • Reduces cost associated with demonstrate how to start a conversation absenteeism, employee relation in homes, schools, colleges, workplaces issues, talent retention and and community based organisations acquisition through the many events and activities that we run throughout the year. By • Can assist employers in developing sharing their lived experience, the systems to support employees ambassadors challenge the stigma experiencing mental health around mental health. There are six steps to the programme: Our Partners 1. Workshops for line managers Organisations from various backgrounds 2. Policy overhaul and implementation. and across all sectors. Our partners 3. Staff-wide mental health promotion. share our values and commit to 4. Nominate staff champions. challenging and reducing stigma around 5. Public engagement mental health through various activities. 6. Become an official See Change workplace

4 SUPPORTING THE GREEN RIBBON: A HOW TO GUIDE

THE GREEN RIBBON CAMPAIGN

Every May, See Change roll out our annual Green Ribbon campaign with the hope of bringing awareness to mental health difficulties.

Hundreds of Thousands of ribbons are distributed nationwide free of charge in conjunction with hundreds of local and national events.

The Green Ribbon is an international symbol for mental health awareness.

The aim of the campaign is to get as many people as possible talking about mental health and help end mental health stigma.

You don’t need to be an expert to start talking about mental health or have all the answers. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is to let someone know you are there for them and simply listen.

Along with being available to order from seechange.ie, ribbons are available to pick up from major Irish Rail Stations, Boots and Eir stores, AIB branches and participating local libraries.

5 WHY ORGANISE YOUR OWN EVENT?

Organising your own event can Is the venue of the event create real change. It gives people an wheelchair accessible? opportunity to come together and talk openly about mental health, be it from their own experience or wanting to be Does the event venue have more informed. Creating spaces where accessible toilets? we can start conversations, breaks down the barriers of mental health stigma. If your event has speakers/ Stigma has been described as a sign of presentations, is a sign disgrace which distinguishes a person language interpreter needed? from others. This results in the person feeling devalued and may lead them to isolate themselves and conceal their Do any of your guests have mental health difficulty. any dietary requirements?

To challenge this stigma, it is important Do people have access to hold events where people from to physical copies of any a variety of backgrounds can come presentations/speeches? together and be free from judgement.

Accessibility Can an audio format be Inclusivity is very important when made for any written organising an event, so make sure that materials for people with your event is accessible. visual impairments?

To know if anyone has any specific requirements, invite people to get in Is there a quiet area touch and inform you of any accessibility people can go to, if needs. they need a break?

Here are some things to keep in mind when making events accessible to all. Are all signs and posters for your event clear and accessible?

In case of a fire emergency, have the venue staff been made aware of any necessary requirements?

6 SUPPORTING THE GREEN RIBBON: A HOW TO GUIDE

TIPS ON TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

You don’t have to be an expert to talk about Supporting the campaign online mental health but there is always the worry Social media has become a great tool that you might say the wrong thing or won’t for keeping conversations going, getting know what to say. messages out to the public and keeping up with current events. These are very valid feelings to have, so we have come up with the following tips that can With the Green Ribbon campaign taking place help when talking about mental health. over the whole month of May, it is important to keep momentum going.

This can be done through social media. • Keep in touch: meet up, phone, Whether you are handing out ribbons, email or text. attending an event, meeting a friend or supporting an organisation, make sure to snap a picture and post it to social media.

To make sure we see it, along with everyone Start the else supporting the campaign, tag your post conversation using the following hashtags:

Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is to let someone know that you #GreenRibbonIRL are there for them and simply listen...

Take your lead from the person As a first step, ask how you can help #EndTheStigma Talk, but listen too Simply being there means a lot Don’t just talk about mental health You can find See Change at the following Chat about everyday things social media handles: Small things make a big difference Ask someone how they are doing, go for a coffee @SeeChangeIreland Avoid clichés phrases like ʻCheer up’ won’t help; @SeeChangeIRL being open minded and listening will www.seechange.ie @seechangeirl

7 SUGGESTION OF EVENTS

You have your ribbons and now you 1. Enquire about possible want to organise an event to show your permissions needed support and get people talking. Here are suggestions of events and some 2. Sign post to support tips that will help put it together. services (see our list on page 15) Walk and Talks Organising a Walk and Talk is a great 3. Look into whether way of combining talking about mental insurance is required health and getting outside. 4. Query accessibility options This is something that can be organised as a workplace activity, family gathering 5. Promote your event or with a community group. 6. Get talking about There are some important things to take mental health! into account when organising a Walk and Talk and they are:

• ROUTE- picking a route is essential • THE WEATHER- Take into account when organising a Walk and Talk. that the weather may change. As a Pick a route that is not too long and is Walk and Talk takes place outside, enjoyable for the people attending. keeping an eye out for rain clouds and having a back-up plan will help if • INSURANCE- When you have picked the weather turns south. a location and a route, if it is in an enclosed park, enquire about • ENTERTAINMENT- Having some insurance. Some parks may ask for music or people in to talk about insurance indemnity. mental health can bring another dimension to you walk. Local • A TEAM- many hands make light community groups or mental health work, enlist the help of a few people organisations are a great resource to help organise your event. for this.

• ROUTE LEADERS- Assign someone • REFRESHMENTS- Walking and to lead the walk, to make sure the talking can be tiring work. route is being followed. If you have Organising some refreshments for a large amount of people, more afterwards is a great way to finish of leaders may be needed. a lovely walk.

8 SUPPORTING THE GREEN RIBBON: A HOW TO GUIDE

Your workplace Coffee Mornings The workplace is a great space to organise Coffee mornings are a simple way to gather a coffee morning. See Change Coordinator, people together for a nice cuppa and a chat. Barbara Brennan has put together some They are easy to organise and are perfect tips that might help when organising other for a workplace event, community group or workplace events; even in your own home.

Barbara Brennan, See Change Coordinator If you are organising a coffee morning, “Having had conversations with so many of the you will need the following: workplaces that have joined See Change on our Workplace Programme, we have learned a lot • SIZE- Decide if your event will be about what really helps change culture. a small gathering of friends or a Here are some things people have told us large event in your local community have really helped in their workplaces: centre or workplace. This will help on deciding where to host your event. • Walk & Talk meetings instead of a meeting room settings • LOCATION- Pick a space that can comfortably hold the amount • Breakout areas where people can get away of people you will be inviting. A for some privacy, or have meetings workplace canteen or community • Internal leaflets or newsletters – created by centre are a great location for big the staff for the staff coffee mornings. • Putting up posters with support • DATE AND TIME- Pick a date and information time that suits your event. A suitable • Cultural celebrations – getting people time for a coffee morning is usually together to show off something that’s between 10-11 am. different • EXTRA HELP- People can volunteer • Desk Drops – this can be anything from a to help by either baking some treats, green ribbon, a newsletter or a cup of tea lend some plates and supplies or help organise the tea and coffee. • Talent & Hobby share - bringing part of your life to work; teach a yoga class or play • LET PEOPLE KNOW- depending on football together how big your event is, make sure to Doing these things at work can make so invite people. Whether it is sending much difference. You can start something a text to your friends, sending out a within your own team and light the way for work email or putting up a poster in a the rest of the organisation!” public place, make sure people know.

9 MENTAL HEALTH FAIR

A mental health fair is something that can Once you have the main parts organised, be organised for your school, workplace setting out a timeline for the day will help or town. A fair is a great way of combining add shape to the day. It will help when access to important mental health letting people know when to arrive. information and other fun activities. Creating a floor plan is also useful so A mental health fair is a big event, so that you can ensure you have enough you will need a few more people to help space. get things going. Lastly, get the word out! Try some of the It is important when organising a fair, following channels to make sure people that you have a main focus. Something know about your event you want to build the event around e.g. informing people on youth mental health, rural mental health, mental Social media (it’s free!) health stigma. Once you have a focus, it ü can help when deciding who you should contact. ü Local radio

Checklist of things you will need; ü Local Community groups

ü Location ü Libraries

ü Date and Time ü Schools

ü Local/National Mental Health organisation support ü Newsletters

ü Speakers HealthPromotion.ie

ü Refreshments is a great website for ordering extra materials such as leaflets, posters, ü Committee of main organisers postcards to use at your fair. Mental Health Ireland also have ü Insurance (some places require accessible resources that can be indemnity cover) downloaded from their website.

10 SUPPORTING THE GREEN RIBBON: A HOW TO GUIDE

See Change ambassador, Sandra has helped run many community events with her local group, Finglas Suicide Network.

Here are some tips on her experience of putting together a mental health fair for a local school.

“Start with contacting the home school liaison officers in the local area.

Preferably secondary schools and colleges. They do social care projects and are always looking for ideas and organizations to highlight and support. This year we focused on local schools in our area. We met with the project organiser, which is usually a teacher and then with her classes.

We discussed how we can support mental health issues. They do an interview process, so just like all the other organisations we have to do a good presentation if we are to win over the students.

Thankfully we have a great team of dedicated individuals who have walked in our shoes and like myself can talk personally about the stress and struggles we face daily!

Then you give the group the information about your service • Stats on mental health • Education around self-care • What supports are available • What needs to be done

Finally, network everyone you know and they know! Through email, text Facebook and other face to face events.

Encourage, empower and support all the students /group and attend to their need to organize the event in their local communities.”

Sandra Dillon, See Change Ambassador

11 GOING GREEN TOWN INITIATIVE

In 2018, See Change ambassador James O’Connor started an initiative he called ‘Tullamore Goes Green’.

With the help of Tullamore Chamber of Commerce and the people of Tullamore, the initiative distributed 7000 ribbons and garnered the support of 170 local organisations.

If you are interested in starting your own local initiative, here is James’ guide to how he and his team did it.

James’ Guide “The following are the steps we took to kick start our #TullamoreGoesGreen campaign:

1. We got in touch with See Change and 6. On May 1st we distributed the ribbons to informed them of our plans. The girls were almost every business in Tullamore town so helpful and organised Green Ribbons, centre. Posters, Press releases etc. for us. 7. Each business received a note asking them 2. Once we received the ribbons we made to post a picture of their team wearing them into bundles of 10. This made it green ribbons on Social Media using the easier for us to distribute the ribbons and hashtags to keep track of them as we only had a #TullamoreGoesGreen and limited number. #GreenRibbonIRL.

3. We set up a Facebook page called This allowed us to find the posts and re- ‘Tullamore Goes Green.’ post them on our own Facebook page.

4. We got in touch with the local newspaper By using the hashtag #GreenRibbonIRL it and organised a photo shoot to launch the also allowed See Change to see the posts. campaign on May 1st. 8. We left boxes of ribbons in the busier shops 5. We didn’t form a formal committee but we in town for the public to take. gathered together a small group of 3 local business people with strong personalities 9. We got in touch with the local HSE Choir (through our involvement with Tullamore and asked them to perform a song for the Chamber of Commerce) and organised campaign. for each person to be responsible for distributing ribbons to certain streets and 10. We also got in touch with Offaly County areas in the town. We took photos of this Council and we lit our Town Hall green for and posted them on Facebook. the month of May.

12 SUPPORTING THE GREEN RIBBON: A HOW TO GUIDE

11. We got 32 large green ribbons made and 15. We hope to expand the campaign this year gave them to prominent local businesses to and have started planning much earlier use for window displays. than last year.

The demand for the large green ribbons 16. Advice: Order your green ribbons etc. well in was phenomenal and it was great to see advance as they run out very quickly! them in shop windows.

12. We found once people started to notice James O’Connor, See Change Ambassador the large ribbons, more and more people wanted to become involved in the campaign.

We received so many requests from businesses and organisations looking to become involved in the campaign through our Facebook page that we quickly ran out of ribbons.

13. We did restrict the numbers of ribbons given to businesses and we posted on Facebook that ribbons were in short supply – this proved to be a great tactic as people wanted ribbons before they ran out!

14. Some local businesses made their own window displays and some held events.

13 LIGHT UP GREEN

Lighting a building up green is a great way to visually show your support for the Green Ribbon campaign and helps promote our call to action to “End Mental Health Stigma.”

Below you will find what colour code to use, along with the types of bulbs.

Colour Code We suggest using the colour code: RGB Code 1271860 LED

LED LED has become extremely popular in recent years with an explosion of colour-changing buildings in the city, including the Convention Centre and National Concert Hall in Dublin. Luckily, Green Metal Halide bulbs if your building is fitted with colour- Contact your local electrical wholesaler changing LED lights, then Going Green for more information. Popular brands for for the Festival could be as simple as Green Metal Halide bulbs are ‘Venture’ pushing a button. If in doubt, talk to your and ‘Colorlite’. Metal Halides are similar electrician. to SON lamps, but produce a cool white colour. As seen with the SON lamp, SON there is a special green bulb version SON’s (High Pressure Sodium) are a available. If you already have white light very popular type of architectural light metal halides on your premises, you can and are seen on buildings all over the change their colour with green gels for city including Trinity College and Bank minimal cost. of Ireland at College Green. Also used in streetlights, they produce a warm Green Gel/Colour Filter or Gels are a orange colour. specialised, heat-resistant, coloured plastic used mainly in theatre and Unfortunately, because of this, it makes stage lighting, with 1000s of shades it very difficult to change this orange available. Gels can be put on any white to green using colour gels or filters. light source, including fluorescent However, there is a type of bulb available tubes. It is a simple cost effective that simply retro fits into the existing solution for greening your business. lamps, called a Metal Halide which is Gels are available from theatrical lighting available in a specialist green colour. suppliers like SLC Dublin.

14 SUPPORTING THE GREEN RIBBON: A HOW TO GUIDE

HELP AND SUPPORT INFORMATION

When hosting an event that is focused out to people attending your event, on mental health awareness, it is always volunteers helping you out or even best to have support information for yourself. Below is a list of support available. services available across Ireland. Some services will have local representatives This is information you can have to hand that are specific to each area. CRISIS SUPPORT INFORMATION Samaritans Pieta House The Samaritans telephone service is Pieta House provides 24 hour crisis available 24 hours a day. support and information for those in mental health distress. For confidential, non-judgmental T: 1800 247 247 support: E: [email protected] T: 116 123 W: pieta.ie Text: 087 2 60 90 90 standard message rates apply Emergency Services E: [email protected] You can contact emergency services on: W: samaritans.ie T: 999 or 112.

ChildLine Resource Officers for Suicide Childline is for young people up to the Prevention age of 18 and can be used by clicking the For information on suicide prevention, ‘Live message’ button. intervention and services contact your T: 1800 66 66 66 local suicide prevention officer Text: the word Talk to 50101 W: hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mental- E: [email protected] health-services/nosp/resourceofficers W: childline.ie MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AMEN AnamCara Amen is the only dedicated support Anam Cara provides support and service for male victims of domestic information for parents experiencing abuse in Ireland providing crisis bereavement of a child intervention, helpline support and face T: 353 1 404 5378 to face supports to victims. E: [email protected] T: 046 9023718 W: anamcara.ie E: [email protected] W: amen.ie

15 MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT CONTINUED

Aware Gay Switchboard Dublin Aware provides support and information Gay Switchboard Ireland provides a for people who experience anxiety, confidential telephone support service depression or bipolar disorder and also to the LGBT+ community and allies their loved ones T: 01 872 1055 T: 1800 80 48 48 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] W: gayswitchboard.ie W: aware.ie GP Out of Hours Bodywhys GP Out of Hours Service. The out of Bodywhys is the national voluntary hours’ service is for patients with urgent organisation supporting people affected medical problems who need to contact a by eating disorders. doctor after GP surgeries close. T: 01 2834963 W: hse.ie/eng/services/list/3/ E: [email protected] outofhours/gpooh.html W: bodywhys.ie IACP Connect Counselling The Irish Association for Counselling Connect Counselling is a free telephone and Psychotherapy has a database of counselling and support service for counsellors and psychotherapists, making any adult who has experienced abuse, it easier to find help in your local area. trauma or neglect in childhood. T: 01 230 3536 T: 1800 477 477 W: www.iacp.ie E: [email protected] W: connectcounselling.ie Find A GP The ICGP ‘Find a GP’ service is a Crime Victims Helpline database comprising of general Crime Victims Helpline offers support practitioners registered with the ICGP in to all victims of crime in Ireland. They Ireland provide information about the criminal T: 01 6763705 justice system and referrals to other E: [email protected] resources in your community that may W: icgp.ie be able to help. T: 116 006 Jigsaw Text: 085 133 7711 Jigsaw is a free and confidential mental E: [email protected] health support service for young people W: crimevictimshelpline.ie aged 12 – 25. T: 01 4727010 E: [email protected]

16 SUPPORTING THE GREEN RIBBON: A HOW TO GUIDE

LGBT Helpline One in Four LGBT Helpline provides a non- One in Four provides professional judgemental, confidential, listening support to men and women who have support and information service for experienced childhood sexual abuse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender T: 01 6624070 (LGBT) people as well as their family and E: [email protected] friends. W: oneinfour.ie T: 1890 929 539 E: [email protected] Parentline W: lgbt.ie Parentline offers support, guidance and information on all aspects of being a parent. Mental health Information T: 1890 92 72 77 or 01 873 3500 Find advice, information and support services E: [email protected] for mental health and wellbeing in Ireland W: parentline.ie T: 041 6850300 E: [email protected] Rape Crisis Network Ireland W: yourmentalhealth.ie The Rape Crisis Network Ireland provide information about the professional Mental Health Ireland support and the choices available to MHI is a national voluntary organisation survivors of sexual violence. which promotes positive mental health T: 24hr 1800778888 and wellbeing to all individuals and W: rapecrisishelp.ie communities in Ireland T: 012841166 Seniorline E: [email protected] Seniorline is a national confidential W: mentalhealthireland.ie listening service for older people provided by trained older volunteers. MyMind T: 1800 804591 MyMind provides a range on counselling W: thirdageireland.ie/seniorline services, available online nationwide. T: 076 6801060 Shine E: [email protected] Shine aims to empower people with W: mymind.org mental ill health and their families through support, information and education while OCD Ireland also advocating for social change. OCD Ireland provide support T: 01 541 3715 and information for people with E: [email protected] obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), W: shine.ie trichotillomania (TTM) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) E: [email protected] W: ocdireland.org

17 St. Patricks Mental Health Services T: 24hr 1800 77 8888 St Patrick’s Mental Health Services Text: 0868238443 provides community and outpatient E: [email protected] care through its Dean Clinics and day W: drcc.ie patient services through its Wellness & Recovery Centre. Turn2Me T: 01 249 3333 Turn2Me provides a 3 tiered approach E: [email protected] to supporting mental well-being - self- W: stpatricks.ie help, support groups and professional support. They are an online based Step Out Ireland counselling and support service. Step Out Ireland supports adults with E: [email protected] social anxiety disorder through support W: turn2me.org groups and recovery programs. T: +353 89 4562488 Women’s Aid Helpline E: [email protected] The Women’s Aid helpline is available W: stepoutireland.com 24 hours. Women’s Aid works to make women and children safe from domestic The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre violence. The DRCC offer a free, confidential T: 1800 341 900 listening and support service for women E: [email protected] and men who have been raped, sexually W: womensaid.ie/services/helpline.html assaulted, sexually harassed or sexually abused at any time in their lives.

GENERAL SUPPORT

Alcoholics Anonymous Ireland Aoibhneas Women and Children’s Refuge Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men Aoibhneas provides support, and women who share their experience, information and access to strength and hope with each other that they accommodation to women and children may solve their common problem and help affected by domestic violence. others to recover from alcoholism. T: (01) 867 0701 T: 353 1 842 0700 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] W: aoibhneas.ie W: alcoholicsanonymous.ie Barnardos ALONE Barnardos support children whose well- ALONE work with older people who are being is under threat, by working with socially isolated, homeless, living in poverty them, their families and communities or crisis and support them to age at home. and by campaigning for the rights of T: 01 679 1032 children. E: [email protected] T: 01 453 0355 W: alone.ie E: [email protected]

18 SUPPORTING THE GREEN RIBBON: A HOW TO GUIDE

Care Alliance Ireland Irish Hospice Foundation Care Alliance Ireland work with The Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) organisations to provide better is a national charity dedicated to all information and supports to Family matters relating to dying, death and Carers bereavement in Ireland. T: 01 874 7776 T: 01 679 3188 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] W: carealliance.ie W: hospicefoundation.ie

Dublin Simon Community Dublin Simon Community works to MABS Helpline- Money Advice and prevent and address homelessness in Budgeting Service Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Louth, MABS is a money advice service that Cavan and Monaghan. They provide guides people through problems dealing services at all stages of homelessness with debt. and enable people to move to a place T: 0761 072000 they can call home. E: [email protected] E: [email protected] W: mabs.ie/en W: dublinsimon.ie St. Vincent de Paul FLAC SVP is a Christian voluntary FLAC is a human rights organisation organisation, working with people which exists to promote equal access experiencing poverty and disadvantage to justice for all. They help people to T: 353 1 884 8200 understand and access their legal rights. E: [email protected] T: 1890 350 250 W: svp.ie W: flac.ie Tusla Focus Ireland Tusla Support and promote the Focus Ireland provide support to development, welfare and protection of individuals, families and young people children, and the effective functioning at risk of or experiencing homelessness. of families T: 01 881 5900 T: 01 7718500 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] W: focusireland.ie W: tusla.ie

Irish Cancer Society ICS provide free, confidential advice and support for any type of cancer. T: 1800 200 700 E: [email protected] W: cancer.ie

19 Registered Cahrity Number: 20011512 CHY Number: CHY 6380 Companies Registration Number: 70462

For further information about See Change please visit: www.seechange.ie