The Northern Health and Social Care Trust yesterday launched the Northern Region Recovery College. The Recovery College offers a range of educational courses and workshops designed to promote mental health wellbeing and recovery.

The aim of the courses are to deliver an educational rather than therapeutic approach to mental health wellbeing and recovery, where we focus on strengths, talents and resources to help explore possibilities and develop skills in order to assist you in achieving your goals and ambitions.

Recovery means something different to everyone. At the Recovery College, we mean having the ability to live a satisfying life. Whether or not you have continuing difficulties with your mental health or you care for someone who has, together we can identify and maintain routes to recovery.

The Recovery College offers everyone including those who have lived experience, carers, staff, volunteers and members of the general public the opportunity to learn from each other and to develop skills to manage their own recovery journey or to begin a new one.

Rosemary Hawthorne, Northern Region Recovery College Facilitator said:
“In our college we offer courses designed and delivered, in partnership with those who have lived experience of mental health problems or distress and those who have professional experience. Together we can learn to make the most of ourselves and together break down barriers and stigmas.

“Through learning you will increase your knowledge about recovery and self-management. By recognising those skills you already possess and the discovery of new ones, it can help you achieve whatever it is you want from many aspects of your life.”

The College will be delivering recovery courses within the community, across the Northern Trust area, that are free of charge and open to everyone.

For more information regarding the College and it’s courses please visit www.mentalhealthrecoverystories.hscni.net/recovery-college/ or search Facebook for Northern Trust Recovery College.

Pictured are:
Back Row:
Leigh Carey, James McAleese, Rosemary Hawthorne, Recovery Facilitator, Melvyn Crabbe and Marlyn Grant.

Middle Row:
Edward Wilson, Susan McKinley, Eileen Bell

Front Row:
Gwen Blackwell, Tara Stinson.