Historical background

‘The need for residential accommodation, alternative to psychiatric hospitals, has become apparent with the recognition that these hospitals contain a significant proportion of patients who, on purely medical grounds, need not continue to reside there’
The above quote is taken from ‘Alternative Residential Accommodation’ a Mental Health Ireland report on guidelines for the organisation of hostels, halfway houses and group homes.

After its formation at the beginning of the 1970’s, a partnership approach was adopted between the Association and the then Western Health Board which involved consultation with St. Mary’s Hospital care staff. The Association became involved in developing a re-housing scheme for clients of the Mayo Psychiatric Service, who had recovered or were in the process of recovering from their illness.

Collectively, these two groups recognised that there were a large number of patients in the hospital who could be discharged home or to independent accommodation in the community, if such could be provided. This shift of emphasis resulted in many long-stay patients in our psychiatric hospitals being discharged back into the community. In fact this approach to housing needs was identified by our Association well in advance of national mental health policy which was not published until much later in 1984. This new approach, in proposing to place long-stay patients in community residential settings motivated the Mayo Mental Health Association to take on the additional burden of providing a re-housing scheme for a number of those patients.

The Association here in Mayo had the vision and enthusiasm at that time to recognise the gap in the service and moved steadily to provide housing from fundraising and other sources. The Association’s strong belief was that this approach provided leadership in influencing state policy on housing in future years and drew attention to the need for further state support to this sector.

It was logical, therefore, that initially, the main development in our re-housing programme should be in Castlebar as, at that time, most of our services were centralised there which posed difficulties and inequities for people in more remote areas.

Re-housing patients in other parts of Mayo posed some difficulties because of lack of support facilities and inadequate transport services

In addition in certain areas there was the added difficulty that members of the public were not always enthusiastic about having mental health service users living next door to them. Our volunteers went into those areas and met with residents and reassured them that their new neighbours need to be given a chance to live in the community like all citizens in the state. This was groundbreaking at the time in breaking down stigma. Indeed the state health services in the following years took a leaf out of our book and took this approach in re-housing service users in the community.

In the light of the foregoing it was necessary to form a limited company which would provide a framework whereby our business would be conducted in line with best practice thus allowing our dream to become a reality. Mayo Mental Health Association volunteers, together with some members of St.Mary’s medical, nursing and administrative staff formed a limited company which gave the Association voluntary and charitable status. Mayo Mental Health Association Ltd was born.

Exterior view of house

Developments from 1974 to date

In 1974 Mayo Mental Health Association Ltd was at the forefront when the Association provided hostel accommodation in Castlebar Co. Mayo for clients of the Mayo Psychiatric Service, who had recovered or were in the process of recovering from their illness

The first project was to purchase a three storey town house located in the centre of the town. This provided accommodation for a gender mix of 12 people. A non-nursing housemother was appointed by the Association to supervise the hostel. This project, was one of the first in the Irish republic (if not the first), and was made possible with the help of funding from the then Western Health Board via a Section 65 grant. The setting up of this hostel met with little local resistance. Years of contact between the townspeople and the patients of St.Mary’s led to a wide acceptance of mental illness within our community as referred to earlier. This property was sold a number of years ago as the needs of our residents had changed and smaller housing units were more desirable.

Towards the end of the 1970’s the Association obtained a dwelling house in Belmullet town which was converted for use as a hostel. It provided supervised accommodation for six elderly residents who had previously been in-patients in St Mary’s Hospital but were originally from the Erris area. Again this project was funded by the Western Health Board. This facility closed a number of years ago as the age profile of the residents necessitated them moving to boarding out accommodation.

In the 80’s and 90’s the Alternative Residential Accommodation programme (ARA) went from strength to strength in Mayo. Our Association purchased four houses in three different housing estates in the Castlebar area having previously rented a number of properties. The purchase of those properties was funded by way of a Capital Assistance Grant from the Department of the Environment. During this period we also rented a number of properties in Westport and Kiltimagh for use as group homes. The Association subsequently bought a property in Westport in a popular residential area where once again we were warmly welcomed. This was highlighted last Christmas when during the inclement weather our residents who were not gone to their own families over the Christmas period were invited to dinner by their neighbours.

In 2002 the Association took a giant leap in Ballina and purchased three newly built properties in two popular residential areas again with no resistance from neighbours. This, we feel, is a measure of the success of our Association at breaking down stigma.

History has a habit of repeating itself. In the current harsh economic climate the Association has again to try and pick up the deficits in the state services and provide additional accommodation to meet the most basic needs of shelter. Our Association again has displayed leadership consistent with our past history and acquired three new Local Authority flats in Castlebar recently

The hallmark of our Associations involvement in housing since its foundation is its ability to meet the new and changing needs of our Mental Health service users. We have moved from supervised hostels to group homes to independent flats putting the service user to the forefront at all times.

Interior view of house

Conclusion

We feel that the foregoing demonstrates the Association’s ability to provide for the needs of mental health service users in Mayo. The volunteers have networked with the various statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure that all available supports are in place for the tenants in our properties

For more information E-mail us at mayomha@eircom.net