BACKGROUND, ETHOS & MISSION STATEMENT

The Centre began providing a service to the community in April 2004. The Centre was established as an outreach arm of concern into the community by Dundalk Baptist Church. The church became increasingly aware of needs in the area of personal counselling and particularly for Family and Marriage counselling through it’s normal contacts in the community. At the time the church had the benefit of having on staff Mr Jeff Whitfield MA a qualified Marriage and Family Therapist.

A training programme for counsellors was initiated, under Jeff’s direction, and a number of people were trained a part time counsellors. The Director of the Centre -who would provide the bulk of counselling after Jeff’s departure- trained under Dr Stephen Mac Cauley who is a psychiatrist specialising in providing counsellor training to churches who wish to provide a counselling service with an Evangelical Christian ethos.

The Centre has as it’s main target the Evangelical Christian Community who would be reluctant to use a service not compatible with their ethos.

It has been found however, that the service is used by members of the wider community regardless of background, and this is a scenario that the Centre welcomes. The service is provided free of charge although occasionally voluntary unsolicited contributions are received from clients.

THOSE WE HELP

When originally established it was recognised that the level of demand for services would be hard to anticipate. This has indeed been so. With a small client base covering a very wide geographic area, the Centre moves from periods of low activity to hectic activity. This places severe demands on the resources both human and financial!

FINANCES & GRANT AID - WHERE IT GOES

The initial receipt of grant aid totalling IR£2,000.00 from the Department of Equality and Law Reform gave a valuable lifeline. Latterly the Department of Social Community and Family Affairs have provided this auxiliary funding- € 10,500.00 in the current year . This covers app 35% of the Centre’s costs which are over € 28,000.

It enabled materials to be bought which otherwise might be beyond the reach of many of the clients. It enabled valuable training to be given to counsellors thus ensuring that they are au fait with as many areas of their respective fields as is required. It enabled the provision of adequate office and ancillary services which other wise might be beyond the reach of small Counselling Centre.

It is proposed to seek increased Grant Aid in the forthcoming year to help cover the extra costs involved in the provision training for the Director & Consultant with the eventual aim of having the Centre as a Training Centre as well as providing counselling.

Increased costs in secretarial, computer and other ancillary services also need to be provided for. The Centre took steps in 2003 to develop a Web Site in conjunction with Dundalk Baptist Church. On the site prospective clients can investigate the Centre and it’s services with both privacy and accuracy.

MEETING THE NEED WHEREVER IT IS

Travel Expenses ensure that the service is brought to those who would find difficulty coming to the Centre in Dundalk. An examination of the Travel Log would show that app 4,200 miles were covered in bringing the service to families, couples and individuals from North Meath through Louth into East Monaghan- as well as South Down and South Armagh. This is a decrease on last year. Yet the fact remains that it would be very difficult to bring the service to the community that is availing of it, apart from the counsellors being willing to get out and meet the clients in geographically scattered locations.

TRAINING FOR SERVICE

The Centre has from it’s inception trained a larger number of “lay counsellors” from local church groups in basic counselling skills. Some have gone on to further training in are such as bereavement counselling. This is in line with both the Christian ethos of the Centre as well as it’s professional approach to counselling, to seek to maximise the training quality of those working in the counselling field. The feedback from this is encouraging. Many problems are being encountered and dealt with at an informal level, while the lay counsellors a re skilled to recognise those who will need either more in depth counselling or even professional help.

Training is being stepped up in the current year for both volunteers and full time staff. Mr Clark Lowery-a licensed trainer with the Biblical Counselling Foundation will provide training in June and October, while The Director and Consultant go to Philadelphia in August for training with the Christian Counselling and Education Foundation.

COUNSELLOR TRAINING CONSULTANT

The possibility of having a full time counsellor available was explored some years ago. Mr Jeff Whitfield who had been involved in establishing the Centre would possibly be available on long term support from his sponsoring Agency - the Southern Baptist Convention. This would mean that counselling hours could be quadrupled. A full in house training service would again be available and the possibility of helping other churches and interested groups establish a service to professional standards would be a realistic possibility. An arrangement has been agreed between Dundalk Baptist church he sponsoring agency for the Centre and Mr Whitfield’s agency the SBC. While he continues in his primary role of providing member care support including counselling for the SBC personnel in Western Europe he has been seconded on a part time basis. This will mean that he now provides back up consultancy expertise and be available to supervise and assist with on going counsellor training. Jeff’s training in Marriage and Family therapy make him an ideal counsellor for children’s issues

COUNSELLING FOR CHILDREN

The Centre aims to continue to provide in 2006 a service specifically for counselling children in marriage break up situations.

We were encouraged by the availability of a professional in the child care area who is available on on a voluntary, part time basis for child counselling.

The Centre is seeking to provide a dedicated area specifically for child counselling. it is particularly important when counselling children to do so in an environment that is child friendly, using resources that help the child to communicate when seeking to address very hurtful and stress related issues.

To this end the Centre had decided to refurbish a special room , appropriately decorated and furnished to provide the necessary environment for child counselling. The estimated cost is €5,000.00 of which € 3,000.00 has been supplied by the church to date. Work was expected to be completed mid 2005, but with unforeseen major work on the Centre roof this is now deferred to 2007.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELLING

Substance abuse appears as both causal issue and in other cases as resultant issue in many cases that present for counselling. In Marriage problems it is often a key issue as a cause. In other cases sexual abuse for example many of the victims have gradually resorted to various forms of substance abuse- alcohol being by far the most common. In dealing with troubled teenagers in marriage break up situations alcohol and increasingly other substance abuses are evident.

To this end the Centre is increasing the profile of the services it produces in this area. The Director has been involved with helping teenagers in a rural area of the County where an opening to help with this issue has developed.

MARRIAGE, PRE-MARRIAGE & DIVORCE

With Divorce being actually available in the jurisdiction from early 1997 it was anticipated that demand on the Centre’s resources in the area of marriage Counselling would increase. Since mediation, counselling etc. are required to prove every effort has been made to maintain the marriage it is anticipated that demands on the service may increase for this reason alone.

Figures to date show no actual increase in demand but there is a real urgency among those seeking help. Many couples or one in the relationship actively considering separation/divorce. As stated there has however been no discernible increase in demand in this area as far as counselling is concerned. There probably will however be an increase as the cases are processed through. In particular it is anticipated the the demand for child counselling for this area will increase.

SEXUAL ABUSE

There continues to be demand for counselling in the area of sexual abuse Both the victims and the perpetrators of sexual abuse (in the family context) have been counselled. While counsellors are trained in detecting signs of abuse and dealing with basic counselling in this area, it is often necessary to refer to specialised Counsellors.

It is the policy of the Centre to report all cases of sexual abuse to the local Health Board.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION/RELATIONSHIP COUNSELLING

The Centre was made aware of the “Peacemaker” conflict resolution programme. This Christian based programme, developed by Ken Sande, a lawyer and committed Christian, is designed to help individuals and groups face up to and resolve conflict using the biblical principles available. Both the Director and the Training Consultant have now trained in this method. This has enhanced the range of counselling now on offer - particularly the marriage and family area.

NETWORKING CONFERENCE

The Centre was represented by the Director at the FSA Networking Conference in Athlone in January 2005. Like most of the participants the Director felt it was helpful. It is hoped that the issues raised can be taken forward and the relationships between the Agency and the Counselling Centres developed.

Among the issues that the Centre in Dundalk felt particular empathy with were:

Unfortunately it was not possible to be represented at a similar conference in 2006.

Stephen Murphy,
Director.
February 2006

 

ACCOUNTS JAN - DEC 2006*

 

Closing Balance at Bank = € 9,509.36

* Accounts presented are January - December.
All moneys received however are not spent in “Calendar Year”.

** Non Cash Subsidy Provided by
Dundalk Baptist Church

Church support Counsellor salary € 11,825.78
Premises Granted & Insurance € 5,000.00
Insurance € 992.01


Ruth Mac Carthaigh, Treasurer