Please note that different campuses will have different supports in place – this is a non-exhaustive list of places to try for support
In-Union Support (mostly for Sabbatical Officers)
Some unions will have a general manager or other staff member that you can seek specific signposting to help from. They might be good to get local information from.
Some larger unions might have an employee assistance program, and they usually have counselling available as part of this. Again, consider asking a staff member for direction to this.
Some on-campus counselling services will have a sessional staff member who can provide counselling to sabbatical officers. Some non-welfare officers may be able to avail of counselling from any counselling staff, provided there is no conflict of interest (in other words, providing you’re not going to have to work directly with the service as part of your role).
Part-Time Officers
As you are a students, you can avail of all resources available to the general student body, including on-campus counselling. Please check your college website for sources of on-campus support.
General Supports
Togetherall is a free, online mental health support platform. It is available 24/7 to all students and all young people aged 16-30 in Ireland, so sabbatical officers under 30 can avail of this. It is moderate by qualified clinicians and you can participate anonymously.
50808 is a free crisis text service available to all people in Ireland. Just text ‘hello’ to 50808 to start the conversation
MyMind offer discounted sessions. You are eligible of your are a sabbatical earning under €25k per year, or if you are a full-time student (so, if you can present a student card). The sessions are €30 each, but unlike a lot of other places, they offer up to 12 sessions instead of the standard 6.
Turn2Me offer free anonymous support groups, and they also offer 6 free sessions to any Irish resident.
You can also reach out to a member of the Coiste Gnó in AMLÉ, who might put you in touch with the ÁMLÉ Mental Health Programme Manager. AMLÉ provides a list of other mental supports for the general student body, but there is no reason an officer can’t avail of the same supports.
You can also reach out to your regular GP or mental health professional, and we recommend leaning on your personal support network of family and friends for support as well.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and may be in danger of hurting themselves or someone else, please present to A/E or phone 999/112.
Remember, if you are waiting for help from one service, you can get support from the NGO (charity) while you are waiting. You can also try different supports until you find one that works for you – different types of help, and different people providing that help, can work differently for individuals, so just because something doesn’t work, that doesn’t mean you cannot be helped.
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