Mental Health

Support Services

Supporting positive mental health for forced migrants in Ireland

Our services and supports

The Irish Red Cross offers a range of mental health and wellbeing supports for forced migrants and for the professionals and volunteers who work with them. Forced migrants include Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BoTPs), International Protection Applicants (IPAs) and others who have fled from conflict and persecution.

We offer a wide range of free mental health and wellbeing services specifically designed for those who are experiencing distress or trauma.

Our mental health services include specialised training, psychotherapy, and wellbeing courses—each adapted to meet individual needs and circumstances.

Explore the options below to see which type of support best fits your needs. If you’re unsure or have questions about our services, our team is here to help. Reach out at mentalhealth@redcross.ie.

Mental Health Supports

Psychological First Aid

This half day group training programme is for people who want to learn how to give humane, supportive and practical assistance for people who are distressed, in ways that respect their dignity, culture and abilities. Learning psychological first aid skills and understanding reactions to crises empowers helpers to help others and apply the same skills to their own lives.

Psychological First Aid for Children

A half day training programme for adults who support children that have experienced distress or trauma. PFA can help reduce the initial distress of children caused by accidents, natural disasters, conflicts and other critical incidents. 

 

This training could be delivered offline upon a group request to mentalhealth@redcross.ie.  

Introduction to Psychological First Aid – for those supporting Gaza Scholarship Initiative

This 3-hour specialist group training programme is directed at the academics, staff and hosts supporting students under the Gaza Scholarship Initiative. This targeted training shares techniques for attendees on how to give humane, supportive and practical assistance for people who are distressed, in ways that respect their dignity, culture and abilities. Learning psychological first aid skills and understanding reactions to crises empowers helpers to help others and apply the same skills to their own lives.

Self Help Plus (SH+)

This training programme was developed to strengthen skills to manage emotions and actions in times of stress. The training is provided to groups over a span of 5 weeks, with each session lasting approximately 90 minutes. This training can be given online or in person.

 

This training could be delivered offline upon a group request to mentalhealth@redcross.ie.  

Trauma Informed Psychotherapy for forced migrants

We offer short term individual psychotherapy that aims to reduce the painful symptoms of PTSD. Over ten sessions the trauma informed psychotherapy provides a safe space to create a narrative of life events. The narrative of live events, a lifeline, becomes the anchor to safely and carefully work through the impact of traumatic memories and experiences.

The fully qualified psychotherapists are Ukrainian and Arabic speaking thus removing language and cultural barriers. Most sessions are online, with in-person options for Arabic speakers. To access this service clients, have a short assessment with a member of our team.

 

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