Chaired by the Mayor, the Derry City and Strabane Civic Forum seeks to address key social issues including alcohol and drug misuse, emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention, and homelessness. Recognising that many vulnerable individuals face overlapping challenges, the Forum takes an integrated approach to these interconnected issues, rather than considering these in isolation.

Dr Donna Tedstone (Programme Manager for the Substance Use and Mental Health Interventions using Digital Technology: SUMIT programme) and Dr Karen McGuigan (Senior Research Fellow, QCAP) attended the forum which provided an opportunity for input from local councillors, community and voluntary groupings, mental health specialists, health agencies/trusts, and academics on key community level challenges.

The forum saw insights into current challenges for those involved in the provision of, or seeking support from, local mental health services. These challenges were reflected in light of current funding constraints, with a focus on increased service demand and increasing complexity of presenting issues.

With an invite extended to brief the Civic Forum more fully on the SUMIT programme, aims, partners, and proposed impacts at the next Civic Forum in January, we look forward to placing substance use, mental health and digital solutions on the local civic agenda.

The forum provided an opportunity to open the conversation around the SUMIT programme at the local policy level.

SUMIT is a project supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).