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Annual Report & Statement of Accounts 2012 Somewhere Someone Dedicated to to turn to to talk to bringing youth “ Jigsaw has got mental health me and my services to son through the young people darkest time in communities of our lives.” Parent of a Young Person around Ireland who used Jigsaw Headstrong The National Centre for Youth Mental Health 16 Westland Square, Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland T +353 (0) 1 472 7010 www.headstrong.ie Registered Charity CHY 17439 1 Message from the Chair 2 Message from a YAP Member 3 Message from the Founding Director 4 What We Do 7 Jigsaw - Young People’s Health In Mind 16 Evaluation 19 Education & Training 20 Advocacy 32 Research 36 Fundraising - Partnerships of Support 42 Financial Report 44 Our Partners 45 Who We Are Vision An Ireland where young people are connected to their community and have the resilience to face challenges to their mental health. Mission Changing how Ireland thinks about young people’s mental health through the Jigsaw programme of service development, research and advocacy. Values We respect the voices of young people and believe that all young people should be given the supports to develop good mental health. We recognise that young people, communities and Government all have a role in and responsibility to develop a supportive environment to foster mental health in young people. We seek to innovate, challenge and apply best- practice in youth mental health in an Irish context. We are an evidence-led organisation, continually researching, evaluating and improving our work. Message from the Chair During 2012 the growing need for resources thanks for his hard work and dedication to for young people and the awareness of promoting youth mental health during this youth mental health has become apparent time. He has been inspirational to all of us in communities around Ireland. I have been and has shaped our thinking on youth mental touched, time and again, by the dedication health in Ireland. Thankfully, Pat’s stepping of the staff of Headstrong and Jigsaw in down from the month to month board their work in bringing these services out meetings does not mean losing the gift of his into communities. particular insight and learning because he will continue as an advisor to Headstrong. I am pleased and proud to focus on some important highlights of Headstrong during Ian Simington also brought a very particular 2012 such as the launch of the My World depth and intelligence, which guided all of us Survey in May. The survey is Ireland’s first on the board as vice chair. Ian stepped down comprehensive national study of youth mental as vice chair in November 2012 and remains a health, collating the views of 14,306 young vital and perceptive board member. people aged 12-25. This survey is the first, most in-depth and insightful barometer we As we say adieu to one colleague on the have of the mental health and well-being of Headstrong board, we welcome another: Irish Ireland’s adolescents and young adults. It is Rugby Union International player Johnny Sexton, widely quoted and referenced as an essential who joined our board in November 2012. touchstone on youth mental health. The growing family of Jigsaw extended further In June Headstrong hosted an inspiring in 2012, with the opening of Jigsaw Offaly, workshop by Annie Rogers, Professor of Jigsaw Donegal and the new Hub at Jigsaw Psychoanalysis and Clinical Psychology at Roscommon. I am looking forward to visiting Hampshire College in Massachusetts. Professor these sites soon with my fellow board members. Rogers spoke about the challenges facing The Headstrong Learning Network was also young people in their journey to adulthood. extended to eight new communities. It aims She drew on her deep experience of working to increase on-the-ground capacity to support with young people who struggle with youth mental health. These are communities traumatic experiences. The open forum at The who really want Jigsaw, and the network brings Exchange in Dublin was attended by more than together key leaders who are working towards 400 guests from all disciplines and from every mobilising everyone in their area or county to corner of Ireland. The evening was a valuable better support mental health and wellbeing. step forward in Headstrong’s ongoing mission to change how we all think - and talk - about Finally, I would like to extend a special thank youth mental health. you to the team at Jigsaw Meath for their welcome on our board away-day in September. I want to express my thanks to our board Our visit was an inspiring one, with an for their valuable contributions during 2012. opportunity to meet and listen to the staff and In particular, I wish to thank one special young people first-hand and feel the pulse of board member. Professor Patrick McGorry, Jigsaw’s work in a county. I look forward to psychiatrist and former Australian Person of visiting our new sites in 2013. the Year, gave our organisation five invaluable years of service. All of us want to pay tribute Dr Sheelah Ryan to Pat and express sincere appreciation and Chair www.headstrong.ie 1 Message from a Youth Advisory Panel Member For me, 2012 will be the year I witnessed Jisgaw has made fantastic progress around the Headstrong grow into its adolescence, country. With ten sites now established, more and what a growth spurt it has been. great services and innovations are being created for the young people of Ireland. The growing For one thing, Headstrong and the UCD School demand from communities to have Jigsaw in of Psychology published the My World Survey, their area is a testament to the ground breaking a national study of youth mental health. This work that the Jigsaw staff and YAPs are doing groundbreaking study confirms the importance on a day to day basis. I cannot wait to see of Headstrong’s efforts to bring the issues Jigsaw develop further in the next year. of youth mental health into the daylight. My World Survey found that ‘One Good Adult’ is While Headstrong is growing and achieving important for the mental health of a young remarkable things, we are aware of the person. While I sat with the Headstrong Board economic difficulties we face as a society as a Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) representative and as an organisation. I would like to thank this year, I realised that we have 11 caring all those who have made our work possible and talented people providing their services through donations and fundraising. We, like as One Good Adults to Headstrong. I have every other charitable organisation, face an been privileged to watch this group of smart, unsure future, but we hope that your support committed and passionate adults strive to will help ensure we continue to guide young provide every support and guidance that people on their path towards adulthood and Headstrong could ask for in this time of that Ireland’s young people will always have change and growth. somewhere to turn to and someone to talk to. While the YAP continues to enjoy providing Ruth Baker our input to board proceedings, we say a fond Youth Advisory Panel Member farewell to fellow YAP representative Tim Smyth. Tim has been supporting Headstrong since the very beginning, and his insights and contributions will be sadly missed. We would like to thank Tim for the dedication he has shown to Headstrong in the past, and we know he won’t be a stranger to the organisation. We have also welcomed new people into the Headstrong family. Our YAP has recently recruited a number of new members, allowing a fresh wave of energy and ideas to spread. The YAP has been involved in more areas of the organisation than ever before in 2012. Headstrong Annual Report & Statement of Accounts 2012 2 Message from the Founding Director 2012 was a good year for Headstrong, and They believe that young people at the edge I want to thank so many people for making often feel "overwhelming and uncontrollable it so. We’ve had tremendous support from feelings of hopelessness, being trapped and young people on our advisory boards, the unable to see any way out.” They don’t yet many fantastic teams throughout our Jigsaw have enough life experience to see that this, sites, and leaders within our health system too, will pass. and the government. When asked what helped young people come We are now in a position to open new Jigsaw back from the edge, there was a resounding services in Donegal, Offaly, and early in 2013 consensus that the presence of someone who in Dublin 15, Tallaght, Clondalkin and North cared made all the difference. This is what Fingal. We continue to work with our existing Jigsaw does; it brings together people who are Jigsaw services in Galway, Kerry and Meath willing to listen to young people, take them to support their engagement with young seriously, and instil in them the feeling that people and secure sustainable funds to keep they belong, that their life matters and that their doors open. We have also been working they can make it work. in several additional communities to build their readiness for Jigsaw and evolve an Please join us in starting kitchen conversations action plan that will move them towards the about mental health. Help us to keep the implementation phase. flame of hope and action alive in communities across the country so that we can reach over Like every other charity in the country, our and under the boundaries and be there for future is uncertain.

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