About - Aware

About
Follow Us:
Aware – 72 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2
W: www.aware.ie T: 01 661 7211 E: [email protected]
About Aware
Aware is the national charity which provides support,
education and information around depression. Aware was
established in Ireland in 1985 and has grown from just one
local support group to a nationwide organisation providing
a range of options for individuals, families and communities.
Our national office is based in Dublin.
Our Mission
Our Objectives
Our mission is to create a society where
people with depression and their families
are understood and supported, are
free from stigma, and have access to a
broad range of appropriate therapies and
support services to enable them to reach
their full potential.
• T
o educate the public about the
nature, extent and consequences
of depression.
• T
o provide emotional and practical
support to those affected by
depression and related disorders.
• T
o support research into the
development and treatment of
depression and related issues.
• T
o give voice to the shared concerns
of all who are affected by depression.
OUR Work
The three pillars of Aware’s work are
support, education and information.
Aware’s message is
one of hope: recovery
from depression is possible.
Support Services
Aware provides face-to-face, phone and email support for
individuals who are experiencing depression, anxiety and
related mood disorders, as well as for friends and families
who are concerned for a loved one.
Support Groups
Helpline
Aware support groups are held in around
50 locations nationwide. The groups provide
a safe, confidential* and non-judgemental
place for people to talk openly about
depression and its impact, as well as
providing an opportunity to learn ways
of managing the condition and minimising
its impact.
The Aware LoCall Helpline 1890 303 302
is a proactive listening service available to
anyone who is distressed or concerned
about their own experience of depression
or that of a loved one. The helpline is open
10am-10pm 365 days a year.
Email Support Service
Aware’s email support service
[email protected] is manned by trained
Aware volunteers during office hours
(Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm) with a
response guaranteed by the next working
day. This service is completely secure, with
each email encrypted.
*Aware guarantees confidentiality within normal limits for all its services. This means that confidentiality
is guaranteed except:
• Where a person has immediate plans to self harm or plans to harm others.
• Where there is information that a child is at risk of, or has in the past been subjected to, harm/abuse/neglect.
Aware’s confidentiality policy is in line with best practice, and ‘Children First: National Guidance for the
Protection and Welfare of Children’ (Department of Children and Youth Affairs, 2011).
Education
Aware provides a free educational programme to senior-cycle
students in secondary schools nationwide, community-based
group programmes, and a positive mental health programme
for the workplace. Feedback on all programmes is excellent.
Beat the Blues
Beat the Blues is available at senior-cycle
level to secondary schools throughout
Ireland. This positive mental health
programme encourages young people to
be more open about emotional difficulties
and highlights a useful coping tool they
can use to deal with challenges they face,
as well as the range of support which is
available to them.
The programme fully complies with the
Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools:
Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion
and Suicide Prevention (2013),
developed by the Department
of Education and Skills, the HSE
and the Department of Health.
Life Skills
Workplace Programmes
Life Skills is a completely free educational
programme from Aware that is based on
the principles of cognitive behavioural
therapy (CBT).
Aware’s new workplace programme
Positive Mental Health: Building Strength
for the Future helps to educate people in
the workplace about stress, anxiety and
depression. It also highlights coping skills
and ways to look after mental health.
CBT is a therapy that focuses on thinking
and behaviour and has been shown to be
an effective treatment for mild to moderate
depression, stress and/or anxiety.
When a person experiences depression
or is facing challenging life situations they
may think and behave in unhelpful ways.
CBT helps the person to make practical
changes in these areas, which can help
improve how they feel and also reduce
some of the symptoms associated with
depression, stress or anxiety.
CBT is a proven treatment for anxiety and
mild to moderate depression and many
participants of CBT-based courses have
found them to be hugely beneficial to them.
Life Skills is offered by Aware in two
formats: in a group setting in a select
number of locations nationwide or online.
For more information see
www.aware.ie/life-skills
Talk
Chat
Feelings
Please email [email protected] for
further information.
Information
Donating & Fundraising
The Aware website www.aware.ie provides a wealth of
information on depression and related mood disorders,
as well as information on all of Aware’s services. The
website receives over 300,000 unique visits each year.
Aware relies on public donations and
fundraising for more than 80% of our annual
funding. It is only through the kind support
and generosity of the public that Aware is
able to carry out our important work.
If you would like to organise a fundraising
event for Aware please contact our
fundraising team at [email protected].
Our fundraising team is available to provide
support and guidance for your event.
If you would like to make a donation
to Aware you can do so in any of the
following ways:
If you don’t have the time to organise your
own event but would still like to support
Aware in your local community then check
out our website, follow us on social media,
or contact us directly to find out more
about any upcoming fundraising events.
Public lectures on issues related to
depression are hosted regularly by Aware,
including a monthly lecture series in Dublin.
Webcasts of all the Dublin lectures are
uploaded onto our website each month.
Aware also provides literature on various
aspects of depression, as well as a selection
of booklets which aim to provide a better
understanding of the condition. These
are helpful for individuals who experience
depression as well as for family and friends.
A number of recommended books, audio
CDs and videos about depression and
mental health are also available to order
online from Aware at shop.aware.ie
Aware’s Clinical Team
Aware’s Clinical Team advises the
organisation on key aspects of its work and
services. Dr. Claire Hayes, Clinical Director,
is involved in policy formulation and the
training of volunteers for service delivery.
Dr. Claire Hayes, Clinical Director
Dr. Hayes is a clinical psychologist,
executive coach, lecturer and author.
With over 25 years’ experience in assisting
people who are coping with challenging life
circumstances, Dr. Hayes is responsible for
ensuring that the organisation’s support,
information and education services operate
in line with clinical best practice guidelines.
Dr. Hayes also plays a key role in future
service development.
Dr. Harry Barry, Director
Dr. Barry is a practising GP with 36 years’
experience. Based in Drogheda, Co. Louth,
he has a keen interest in the area of mental
health and suicide prevention.
Dr. Declan Lyons, Director
Dr. Lyons is a Consultant Psychiatrist
(St. Patrick’s University Hospital, Dublin)
and Lecturer in Psychiatry (Trinity College
Dublin). As an old-age psychiatrist,
Dr. Lyons has a special interest in
depression and its impact on older adults.
• Online at donate.aware.ie
• B
y cheque or bank draft
(made payable to Aware)
• T
hrough a monthly standing
order to Aware
• By text* (text Aware to 50300)
• B
y leaving a gift or sum of money to
Aware in your will
Aware can claim back tax at a rate of 31%
on donations of €250 or more that are
made in any one year. So if you make a
donation of €250 to Aware in any one
year, and are paying tax, your donation
is actually worth more than €350 to us.
For more details please see the Revenue
website www.revenue.ie or contact
Aware directly.
Thank
you!
*Cost is €2 per text and 95% of your donation will
go to Aware.
Volunteering
Volunteering with Aware offers a
worthwhile and rewarding opportunity
to make a real and important difference
in the lives of others.
It is estimated that more than 450,000
people in Ireland (one in ten) experience
depression at any one time. The emotional
support and services provided by Aware
give people the opportunity to learn about
their condition and develop coping skills to
minimise its impact. But in order to keep
doing this, we need the help of volunteers.
If you are interested in volunteering with
Aware please see the volunteering section of
our website. There are many ways that you
can donate your time to make a difference;
from a regular weekly commitment to one
of our services, to a once-off involvement
with a fundraising event.
Further information
If you would like to find out more about
Aware’s services or the work we do,
please visit our website www.aware.ie
Alternatively, you can contact us in
any of the following ways:
A:Aware, 72 Lower Leeson Street,
Dublin 2
T: 01 661 7211
E: [email protected]
W:www.aware.ie