Laois Connects Week has been in place since 2013. It has, and continues to be, a collaborative group representative of voluntary and statutory agencies committed to promoting an awareness of mental health, physical health, and emotional wellbeing.
The aim of the initiative is to organise and deliver a varied and wide range of interesting events across the county, that seeks to inform and challenge the way people think about and respond to mental health in families, communities and places of work. An additional aim for the initiative is to strive to reduce the stigma often associated with the concept of mental health, so that there is increased acceptance, awareness and willingness to give and receive support at an individual, community and services level. Laois Connects is a successful community development initiative and in order to achieve the maximum opportunities that such a collaborative approach can provide, it is essential that the overall message is communicated to all age cohorts and demographics in our communities, including families, places of work, community settings, etc.
We all have a part to play in suicide prevention:
‘Let’s Talk About Suicide’ is a free online suicide prevention training programme.
This new programme helps people to develop their skills to keep others safe from suicide. It helps participants to identify people who are at risk, confidently ask about the topic of suicide and connect them with resources that can help them stay safe.
The programme will also provide participants with a sense of hope and reassurance that suicide prevention is possible.
On average, the programme will take 60 minutes to complete, but participants can work at their own pace.
To enrol and complete Let’s Talk About Suicide, visit traininghub.nosp.ie or follow the QR Code below.
