Posted 27.05.2021

Disability Action has been successful in securing £10,000 funding through The McCall Social Care Fund to deliver a bespoke mental health counselling service 'Connect Well Antrim' to support disabled people aged 65+ in the County Antrim area.

In April last year we undertook a survey on 'The impact of COVID-19 on disabled people in NI' which showed that 72% of people reported an impact of their social isolation on their mental health and emotional wellbeing and pre-existing mental health conditions and anxiety worsened due to being unable to access support from their GP, health and/or social care contacts.

The Connect Well Antrim pilot project aims to go some way to rectifying this by providing 1:1 mental health counselling support to 25 people aged 65+ in the County Antrim area, delivered by Maria Morgan, our BACP* registered Integrative Mental Health Counsellor. Maria also provides a counselling service to some of Disability Action’s current service users in education, training and in work.

Using well established tools and theories, Maria will work with individuals, over the course of six one hour sessions, to remove loneliness and create better connections; improve confidence and self-worth, personal growth and self-awareness, and improve emotional resilience.

For more information contact Maria Morgan MBACP, Disability Action Mental Health Counsellor & Connect Well Antrim (Pilot) Project Co-Ordinator T: 07483 981220  E: [email protected].

This pilot project has been supported by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland through The McCall Social Care Fund and is managed by Disability Action Northern Ireland.

Read more about Connect Well Antrim bespoke counselling service

*British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy