The event was attended by professionals from across the health and social care sector in Northern Ireland. Family representatives also attended and shared their experiences of coping post ABI and the impact it has on the family.
Lisa Turan, CEO Child Brain Injury Trust outlined the project “We know that counselling for families affected by brain injury is a specific gap in services in Northern Ireland, highlighted by a recent RQIA review. This project enables us to pool resources with Headway and offer a new service to families who really need it”
The counselling service will focus on two main areas of identified need: Early Years and Transition, covering:
- Early Years Parental Counselling. Provided to parents and carers of children in the Early Years field (0-5 years)
- Primary Counselling. This will be offered to parents and carers of children and young adults between the ages of 6-12 years
- Transitional Counselling. Providing services to children and young adults (13-25 years) and their parents and carers
People affected by brain injury tell us they need emotional support at various stages of their condition. This could be at point of diagnosis, a change in condition, education, relationship dynamics with friends or family or coping with living with a long term condition.
Brain injury affects not only the person living with the condition but carers and the wider family network. Talking to someone you can trust can make a real difference.
The service is available to all registered Headway and Child Brain Injury Trust families within Northern Ireland and will be delivered in Belfast and Armagh.
The service is delivered free of charge. If you wish to make a donation that is welcome, but not obligatory.
How do I access the service?
Once we have received your completed referral form, we will direct it to one of our counsellors. The counsellor will contact you directly to make an initial appointment. This initial appointment is an opportunity you to talk to the counsellor and make sure that the service is right for you. If you and the counsellor agree that the service meets your needs, they will agree appointments for you over an initial period of four to six weeks.
For more information or to request a referral form, please email info@cbituk.org and a member of the team will get back to you in due course.
