Mojo: Creating Male Space Toolkit by Advantage Point

CREATING M A L E S PA C E

1 2 3 4 5

Acknowledgements A brief introduction to the toolkit and its intentions Introduction

The seven stages of development for a successful Mojo programme 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Stage 1 Identifying the potential to establish a Mojo programme.

1: Development Stages

Contents 1.3 Stage 2 Undertaking a needs analysis. 1.5 Stage 4 Establishing an interagency advisory group. 1.6 Stage 5 Developing a bespoke programme based on shared learning and re sources. 1.7 Stage 6 Facilitating the programme with the support and inclusion of the participants. 1.8 Stage 7 Undertaking regular evaluations.

The key core principles and work practices that underpin the programme 2.1 The seven core principles 2.2 The 13 work practices

Overview of the programme content, structure, participants and brand 3.1 The programme content »» introduction to the training programme »» the Mojo plan »» the programme structure »» morning 1 - wellness and resilience building

2: Key principles and work practices

1.4 Stage 3 Seeking support from an established Mojo programme.

»» morning 2, part 1 - life planning »» Mojo as male space 3.2 Mojo participants »» recruiting participants »» Participant profiles

3: Overview

»» morning 2, part 2 - physical exercise

»» referral pathways »» participant profiles »» sharing participant information/consent »» team communication on participants »» supporting staff to support participants 3.3 The programme structure including staff profiles »» programme structure »» staff profiles »» external facilitators

4: Why Mojo Works

»» progression pathways

3.4 The Mojo Brand »» advertising the programme »» Mojo certification »» Mojo training venue »» a typical training schedule

Why Mojo Works 4.1 introduction 4.2 a little context 4.3 engaging the men 4.4 the Mojo facilitators 4.5 Mojo in the community

Building new Mojos - anticipating the future

5: Building new Mojos

»» the brand

Acknowledgements I wish to thank the following people for their support in bringing Mojo to life: Emma Freeman for her insight into identifying the need for an interagency response to the high levels of suicide among unemployed males in Tallaght, to the management in South Dublin County Partnership for hosting and managing the programme, to the National Office for Suicide Prevention for funding the work, to the Advisory Group members for their guidance and support, to the Mojo staff and facilitators (there are too many to mention) for their continued dedication to the process and to ‘the men’ for taking the leap of faith to come on to the programme and to start the conversation in Tallaght about the need for male space. With the risk of offending some people, I am going to give special thanks to some of the people who were instrumental in Mojo’s success. To Angela Keegan for introducing me to WRAP and for leading the first three courses on wellness and resilience, to the Care Planning Group (Niamh Milliken, Patrice Reilly, Des Moran and Ann Marie Doran) for their help in establishing the foundations of Mojo, to Nuala Whelan for taking the time to share her experience of interagency work, to Bez for all his editing over the years, to Anna Lee for allowing me the space to innovate, to Veronica O’Keane and Julie Cruickshank for taking the risk and believing in Mojo’s potential, to Emma Heffernan for her editing skills and to Liz Hayes (whom I often hated!) for challenging me to explore. A special thank you to Marjo Moonen (SDCP) and David Carroll (BeLonG To) for their feedback on the Toolkit. There are a few more people that I have to mention without whom the toolkit and Mojo would be much less than it is. To Bridget Harney and Dawn O’Connor for embracing change, to Danny Morris, John Connolly and the lads for proving it works, and to Paula Forrest for allowing the project to grow experimentally. In memory of Jason - my inspiration for Mojo

Written by Derek McDonnell (LLM) Big Picture Consultancy. October, 2014

MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 1

2 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space MOJO TOOLKIT

Foreword When Derek McDonnell first approached me about setting up a “men-at-riskof-suicide” service, I was immediately engaged. Suicide, and management of risk-of-suicide, is a large part of the work of psychiatry services. It was evident to me that the statutory HSE services, where I practiced as a consultant psychiatrist leading a multi-disciplinary team, were not good at engaging men who might be at risk of suicide. I knew that there was work being done in the community in the area of suicide prevention but it was a parallel world and the community work was not connected to the work that we were doing within the HSE services. As we explored these issues, I became aware that some of the excellent work being done in the community was not particularly connected until Emma Freeman brought several key community and non-statutory voluntary groups together to co-ordinate their work, under the umbrella group the “Suicide Action West Tallaght West”. From this foundation, Derek had a vision to create a specific service for men. It needs to be re-iterated that men, and particularly young men, are the group that are at highest risk of suicide in Ireland. For families, residents in the community and health care workers in Tallaght, this was/is a reality that we live and work with. There is something about being male that confers this risk. A group that is identified as male, addressing problems that are relevant to the distress experienced by males, is intuitively a good place to try and intervene to explore and try and address the distress experienced by men. Apart from the co-ordination of voluntary, and non-statutory services supported by the state, this project brought these services together with the statutory HSE psychiatry services. This was a novel experiment and we had to draw up clear boundaries for the different services that were going to participate. This was particularly important in the area of client/patient confidentiality as some of the participants would be referred form the psychiatry services. We thus drew up a protocol for these services to work together within the specified boundaries of their professions and in co-operation with other services. This co-operative working was focused on the specific needs of the men that we wanted to help. There is now a focus on inter-agency working, that is, patient-focused working across statutory services. This project has gone beyond that to include not only inter-agency working but working from the community group out to the statutory inter-agency services. This is the unique aspect of this project: it has taken an individual-based approached and built the care package around the individual circumstance of the men who live within a community. It is because of Derek’ intuitive ability to see the need for this forum for men, his vision and abilities as an organizer to take what was already in place and build on it and his complete commitment to the project, that it has been so successful. I know this because I have participated in the cycles and seen the safe containment that the service has given to vulnerable men who would otherwise be emotionally lost, and lost in terms of their own life’s project. This service has given individual men a forum in which they can untangle, re-assess and get a foundation for starting their own life’s projects again. I have every reason to believe that this project will become a blueprint for similar services around Ireland. I wish Derek and his team the very best in their ongoing work. Professor Veronica Keane Consultant Psychiatrist AMiNCH Hospital

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Introduction In 2011, Mojo was set up in Tallaght to pilot an interagency response to men who were distressed due to unemployment. The premise was that forced unemployment increases a man’s risk to suicide. It was also understood by the programme developers that agencies, statutory and non-statutory, working collectively have the potential to provide a more effective response than those working in isolation. Mojo was developed by South Dublin County Partnership (SDCP) and is funded by the National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP). By working in partnership, Mojo has emerged as an evidenced based, multidisciplinary, process that provides a service to distressed, unemployed men in the form of a training programme. The service is guided by an interagency advisory group and the training programme (outlined in detailed in section 3) is run by core staff who are supported by facilitators from a range of local and national agencies. The training programme is an eclectic and dynamic model that combines a unique mix of mental health, adult guidance, physical fitness and social networking methodologies. The mixed methodologies afford men the opportunity to explore; how to be and stay well, blocks to achieving their goals and desires and, most importantly, how to plan for their future. Attending Mojo, for two sessions a week, for 12 weeks, provides participants with an opportunity to learn new skills that supports them to develop a sense of wellbeing. The intended outcome is that men create a more positive future for themselves and their families. Through the programme, participants are supported to reflect on past experiences and explore current options in order to develop a plan that supports them to have their ‘Mojo’ intact.

Having your Mojo intact means having a zest for life or to have a Joie de vivre (a French term used to express a cheerful enjoyment of life) While attending Mojo, participants learn to identify risk factors to their mental health and, in turn, build protective factors.

“Mojo has given me a language to help describe how I feel. That has been great. I didn’t have that before and didn’t really know what was going on, and what to do. I feel much more in control.” (Quote from a Mojo participant)

The vision of the programme is that all men in Ireland have their “Mojo”. To support the vision the Mojo programme will continue to create a space: for men to be who they are, as opposed what they or society, think they should be. for each partner1 involved in Mojo to share their knowledge and experience in order to develop collaborative practice that offers support to men in distress. that offers the opportunity to explore new ways of responding to life’s challenges. for men to build strong social connections. The policy context that drives Mojo is based on national2 and international3 research that highlights the correlation between mental health challenges, unemployment and suicide. A clear link has also been established between unemployment and psychological distress4. As such, two national strategies, (Reach Out and Vision for change) that focus on suicide prevention and mental health, call for: services and programmes for unemployed people that help increase resilience and reduce the risk of engaging in suicidal behaviour, for evidence-based approaches to training and employment for people with mental health problems.

The participants, the Advisory Group, the referrers, the programme promoters, the facilitators and the funders. 2 Corcoran, Paul, and Ella Arensman. “Suicide and employment status during Ireland’s Celtic Tiger economy.” The European Journal of Public Health (2010): ckp236 3 McKee-Ryan, F. M., Song, Z., Wanberg, C. R., & Kinicki, A. J. (2005). Psychological and physical well-being during unemployment: A meta-analytic study. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 53-76. 4 Whelan, C.T., Hannan, D.F. & Creighton, S. (1991) Unemployment, poverty and psychological distress. General Research Series, No. 150. Economic and Social Research Institute. Dublin MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 5

In particular, men are most at risk from suicide, therefore, Mojo is being developed by agencies with responsibility in the area of mental health, education, employment, housing, and welfare, in order to provide the evidence of practice that supports (unemployed) men to make positive change thereby reducing their risk.5 The evidence of practice contained in this toolkit is based on learning from successfully implementing Mojo with 88 men and 14 participating organisations, over a three year period, in Tallaght, South Dublin County (SDC). As Mojo was a new initiative that was chartering new approaches to interagency working and engaging men ‘in distress’, rigorous evaluation was integral to the process. The pilot’s external, formative evaluation6 demonstrated that Mojo was well above the national average when it came to participant retention (89%) and participant progression on to another service or a return to work/volunteering (70%). It also demonstrated that, overwhelmingly, the majority of ‘partners’ found Mojo to be an effective and a supportive programme. Mojo has demonstrated value for money in the Social Return on Investment (SROI) evaluation7 with a return of €5 (4.96) for every €1 invested. The evaluations undertaken ensured that the team in SDC were able to demonstrate that they were developing, cost effective, evidenced based practice for working with unemployed men in distress.

Mojo has demonstrated value for money in the Social Return on Investment (SROI) evaluation8 with a return of €5 (4.96) for every €1 invested.

5 For a more in-depth analysis of the policy context refer to Mojo: A twelve-week programme for unemployed men experiencing mental health distress A Social Return on Investment Analysis, 2014 (p19) www.mojo-programme.org 6 The external evaluation was conducted by Burtenshaw and Associates for a copy go to www.mojo-programme.org 7 download the SROI from www.mojo-programme.org 8 download the SROI from www.mojo-programme.org 6 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

Although Mojo began life as a pilot, due to its success the programme has secured extended funding from the NOSP. Mojo is for men who are unemployed and are experiencing distress. They must be motivated to make changes to their lives. In SDC, the participants have ranged in age from 22 to 65 and have come from diverse socioeconomic, religious, ethnic and educational backgrounds. The men attending Mojo are unemployed for a variety of reasons including; a lack of availability of jobs in their related fields, poor physical or mental health, providing care to a family. This toolkit was developed to respond to the number of requests, from people working across Ireland, for information on how to set-up a Mojo programme. It is hoped that the toolkit will be used as a guide to assist others in establishing a Mojo in their region and that it will build on the work done in SDC, so that men on the island of Ireland become more resilient when faced with adversity. The toolkit is a living document that will change and develop as the learning from implementing the programme increases. The toolkit will bring the reader through the process used for setting Mojo up in SDC, including the identification of programmes, processes, and organisational structures that proved successful. The importance of working in partnership is highlighted within, while also exploring and addressing some of the challenges. The toolkit is meant to be part of a guide to setting up an interagency response to men in distress. In order to bring the information contained within to life, conversations with and guidance from someone who has already established a similar programme should be an integral part of a new Mojo programme’s development.

2: Key principles and work practices 1: Development Stages

3: Overview

4: Why Mojo Works

5: Building new Mojos

MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 7

We became more like a team than a group of individuals, I think its because we were all singing from the same hymn sheet and we were all informed about what is was we were there to do. We were all really clear about the goals of the programme and focused on achieving this. Quote from a Mojo advisory Group member

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Section 1 Introduction The experience of developing and implementing Mojo, over a three year period, has afforded many opportunities to gather clear evidence of what works when developing an interagency service that engages unemployed men who are in distress. The learning to build Mojo and, in turn, this toolkit is based on: Establishing an interagency advisory group that developed collaborative working practices. Running seven cycles of the Mojo training programme.

Undertaking a scoping exercise in Kildare in order to test the transferability of Mojo to another area. A Social Return on Investment evaluation.10

An individual and/or an agency working locally identifies the potential to set-up a Mojo programme to respond to men ‘in distress’ because of being unemployed. In order for the project to move forward it is vital that a lead agency takes responsibility for the coordination of the Mojo programme. It is imperative that a dedicated and experienced staff member, who has the necessary time and resources, manage Mojo’s development.11 STAGE

Undertaking a needs analysis (action research)

A brief piece of action research should be undertaken with local services - statutory and nonstatutory - and groups (including mental health, employment, education, money advice, counselling, information, welfare, men’s groups, addiction, community health and community development) to identify the needs of men in relation to unemployment and suicide prevention. The aim of the action research is to gather information on the ‘most at risk’ men in the region and to identify key people that will be part of Mojo’s development.

The information gathered can be used to: develop an argument for funding, identify members for the advisory group; identify groups working directly with men; and to promote the programme. 9 A copy is available on www.mojo-programme.org 10 A copy is available on www.mojo-programme.org

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5: Building new Mojos

The suggested areas to explore with the interviewees are: 1. Which groups of men are at particular risk to suicide? 2. Why are these men at risk to suicide? 3. How type of response is required to the identified risks? 4. Is the interviewee aware of the Mojo programme and its content? 5. Is the interviewee aware of any other programmes or initiatives that could help the development of an interagency response to men at risk? 6. Would the interviewee participate in an interagency response?

4: Why Mojo Works

A combination of the information gathered has led to the identification of a number of key stages that underpin the development of a Mojo service. Each stage provides solid foundations and structures on which to build a multidisciplinary programme.

Identifying the need

3: Overview

An external formative evaluation9 which explored the views of programme participants, staff, advisory group members, referrers and funders.

STAGE

2: Key principles and work practices 1: Development Stages

The seven stages of development for a successful Mojo programme

STAGE

Seeking support from an established Mojo programme

In order to establish a Mojo programme it is strongly advised that the Mojo toolkit is combined with storytelling (learning from another programme) and customisation (adapting the programme to fit the required needs of an area). Seeking support and guidance from someone who has experience of establishing a Mojo programme will give added value and will help bring the programme to life. The process of learning from the past and building on the present mirrors the journey a participant goes on through on the programme: seeking support, exploring challenges, identifying goals, (calculated) risk taking and conversation allows for the development of innovative responses. One of the key things in accessing support from someone who has established a Mojo is that the developmental model will continuously be built upon. Information gained will flow both ways as learning gained for implementing one Mojo can be adapted and then used to implement subsequent Mojo programmes in new and established interagency responses. STAGE

Developing an interagency advisory group

It is important for a number of reasons to have an interagency, multidisciplinary advisory group (AG) in place: to help ensure good governance; to support referrals to the programme; to increase referrals (of men) between participating agencies; to provide an opportunity for shared learning that supports innovation; to secure commitment from agencies to facilitate workshops on the program; and to promote an exchange of expertise. When advocating for key people to participate on the AG, it helped in South Dublin County (SDC) to make potential partners aware of the benefits to their own work practice and organisation, such as, providing a forum to network with other services, to build their knowledge of local and regional services, to increase their expertise through shared learning, to support referrals to and from their service, and, ultimately, to improve the collective response to men ‘in distress’.

“Since becoming involved in Mojo I have become more enabled to pick up the phone to make appropriate referrals. I have become more aware of services and more comfortable to make referrals. This is not limited to one service; I contact and work closely with a number that I didn’t before Mojo.” (Quote from Advisory Group focus group) 12 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

Key individuals who have the potential to be AG members can be identified during the action research. The AG members should represent the services locally and nationally that are already working with your target group in the areas of social inclusion, mental health, primary care, employment, education and fitness. One of the key things to emerge from the AG in SDC was the development of an informal referral pathway between participating organisations. As the AG members were more aware of other services and had established new working relationships, referrals increased between the services. When identifying members for the AG it is important to keep three things in mind: Are they already working with your target group? Are they authorised by the management in their respective organisations to engage in the programme? Do they see themselves as potential champions for the programme? The development of the interagency piece is crucial to Mojo’s success as the AG underpins the programme. Therefore, it is vital to invest in its development. It is essential that the AG members are comfortable working with each other and that they feel a strong sense of trust in and ownership of the project. This needs to be achieved before participants are engaged. One thing that helped in SDC was one-to-one meetings with potential AG members. Sometimes those meetings were in formal settings, but mostly they took place in coffee shops. Spending the time building relationships with key people proved to be a very successful approach to ensuring that Mojo was successful in SDC. Engaging the advisory group At the initial meeting with the AG it is important to develop a Terms of Reference12 for the group as this will help to ensure that members have a clear understanding of what they are committing to. Initially the time commitment might be more frequent due to the logistics of establishing a new project, but most likely the AG will meet monthly. One thing that worked well in engaging AG members in SDC was having a working lunch meeting (a light lunch provided) that usually lasted for an hour. Feedback from the AG members highlighted that scheduling the meeting dates annually allowed them to plan accordingly for their attendance. Once the programme is established the AG may need to meet less frequently.

(Quote from Mojo Advisory Group member)

Although all of the information and resources needed to set up a Mojo programme (information sharing guidelines and interagency working protocols, a structured training programme, and administrative forms and communication materials) have been developed and are available, it is important that AG members take time to review, adapt and approve the documents so that everyone involved is aware of the work being undertaken and are happy with the working agreements.

Participants

As Mojo is a process that is used to develop a service for distressed unemployed men, it is important that each new Mojo has the freedom to develop an intervention (programme) that is suitable for their region. Although, in order to be a Mojo programme, the process needs to be underpinned by the seven stages of development and the principles and work practices (outlined in section 2). When developing a Mojo it is important find out what are the emerging issues for unemployed men in your area so that you can develop a programme that responds accordingly. Findings from the initial research to set up Mojo in Tallaght identified that a significant number of men felt isolated, emasculated and believed that their future looked bleak. These findings led to the team developing a programme that addressed these issues (see section 3 for a more detailed account of the programme). It was also reported that men were unaware of the local support services available and many of those who knew about services did not access them: the team were therefore cognisant of the importance of drawing on local expertise and resources so that men could be supported to access services. Having available local supports involved in the programme delivery also helps to ensure that the programme is sustainable. Most areas/towns in Ireland have different services, supports and resources available, which will make it necessary to develop a bespoke Mojo programme. However, the availability of services should not impact on the quality of the Mojo programme developed.

5: Building new Mojos

Lead Agency and Programme Manager

Advisory Group

4: Why Mojo Works

In summary, the programme is crafted by a range of people from diverse backgrounds including policy influencers, senior managers and practitioners. Therefore, taking time to build relationships and to appreciate the partners’ respective contributions is central to Mojo’s development.

Developing a bespoke Mojo training programme based on shared learning and available resources

3: Overview

In the early stage of a Mojo programme’s development it might be necessary to establish a number of working groups made up of AG members to review relevant material and/or plan particular aspects of the programme. Having the working groups in place helps to reduce the amount of work AG members have to do and also supports the development of good working relationships between members. Working groups can make recommendations to the AG on their areas so that the AG can discuss and then approve the necessary documentation. Suggested working groups include; Protocol Development Group and Programme Development Group.

STAGE

2: Key principles and work practices 1: Development Stages

‘There is a slight addition of workload, but we balanced this against the outcomes for the men, with this in mind it was worth it’

Programme Team Mojo Organisational Structure

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Facilitating the programme with the support and inclusion of the participants.

One of the unique aspects of Mojo is that the participants are at the centre of the programme. Just like the members of the AG, the facilitators, the referrers and the management team, they have their role to play in the continued success of the programme. Participants need to feel part of the programme and in control of its development. In essence, the programme is done in collaboration with the participants, not to them or for them. Each potential participant meets individually with the Programme Manager where they go through the criteria for the programme together13. In this meeting the men are made aware of a few key things: Mojo is a programme that is continually developing based on feedback from participants. In lieu of payment for the programme, participants are expected to commit to attending for four of the 12 weeks before making the decision whether to leave or to complete the programme.

The facilitators and participants work in partnership to figure out the best way for participants to find their “Mojo”.

Undertaking regular evaluations

Regular evaluation is an essential component of Mojo as it helps to ensure that we are responding to the emerging needs of men. It means that we can measure the relevance of the programme content to the participants and we can identify parts of the programme that are working well and those that might need to be changed or tweaked. Learning from participants’ feedback often means changing planned sessions so that we can either extend a section that may be more relevant to the men or include something that emerged as a need. Obviously, there will be limits to the changes that can be made to the programme content, but where possible the programme management should endeavour to make those changes. Adapting and learning based on participants’ experiences will ensure that Mojo continues to be an innovative, participant led programme. Mojo in SDC undertakes the following evaluations: Outcome Star assessments with participants when they start and finish on the programme. This supports the men to identify areas of their lives that may need particular attention and also to measure if change has taken place over the 12 weeks.

The Programme Manager meets with the men in a focus group setting midway through the programme and on the last day for an informal chat about what worked well and what could be improved.

In summary, the seven stages underpin the Mojo process. Having them in place offers a secure foundation on which to build the programme. With solid foundations in place, it is then necessary to create the space for men to safely explore new opportunities and possibilities. On Mojo we have identified, so far, key guiding principles and work practices that support men to take action in order to construct new futures.

13 See www.mojo-programme.org for Criteria

14 Shout-out ask each participant to let you know their thoughts on a particular subject. MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 15

5: Building new Mojos

If funding allows, it would be very useful to engage an external evaluator to evaluate the programme and its content regularly.

4: Why Mojo Works

Participants evaluation after each session takes place capturing: what has worked? What could be improved? And, what one thing will they take from the session? This is usually done as a ‘shout out’14 because a significant number of men have literacy issues.

3: Overview

A Mojo programme is only successful if the men support it by engaging with the facilitators and each other in the best way that they can.

STAGE

2: Key principles and work practices 1: Development Stages

STAGE

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Quote from Mojo participant

2: Key principles and work practices 1: Development Stages

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thanks to Mojo I have reconnected with the world againâ&#x20AC;?

3: Overview 4: Why Mojo Works 5: Building new Mojos

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Section 2 Key guiding principles and work practices that underpin the programme.

The seven core principles that frame the Mojo ethos and creates the learning culture are:

Participants:

Are the primary focus of the programme.

Engage at whatever level they can.

Facilitating the group members to support each other to participate, at whatever level they can, brings the truly unique thing about Mojo to life – the men form a bond with each other that allows them to flourish.

A lot of the men on Mojo will have experienced limits being placed upon them by their families, service providers and society. Therefore, integral to our philosophy is that there are no limits to what the men can achieve with the right support. The facilitator’s role is to explore options, choices and actions that the men need to have in place in order to achieve their identified goals.

The learning environment creates a space where:

Peer support and mutual learning is fostered.

While the facilitators on Mojo have a broad range of knowledge on information relevant to the programme, supporting the men to learn from each other and in turn offer mutual support is key to enabling change. The action research to establish Mojo in SDC demonstrated that men feel isolated so attending the Mojo programme offers an opportunity to reconnect with other men and find a space to learn new ways of being.

5: Building new Mojos

It is essential to ensure that the conditions are in place to allow participants to engage at a level that matches their state of wellbeing. Some of the men find it extremely challenging to be in a group, so the facilitators should strive to accommodate their needs. The team in SDC (the facilitators and group members) have learned the importance of accommodating everyone who is motivated to attend Mojo, even if this means having to make allowances for someone with particular or ‘special’ needs. Some examples of these needs are, one ecial’ needs have been that the participant could not sit for more than 15 minutes so had to take regular breaks, another man was so heavily medicated that he would regularly fall asleep and another talked so much that he needed the group to support him to stay quiet.

Are supported to realise that there are no limits to what they can achieve.

4: Why Mojo Works

Too often the needs of organisations and funders outweigh the needs of the vulnerable group being worked with. Therefore, when facilitating a Mojo programme it is vital, at all times, to consider the needs of the men above others. One way to ensure this is to ask the participants what they need and, if possible, find a way of accommodating them.

Flourish: (of a living organism) grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly congenial environment15.

2: Key principles andprinciples work practices Overview 2: Key and work3:practices

The guiding principles facilitate the men on the programme to take a leap of faith and make, often, profound changes to their lives. These principles were arrived at by ‘doing’ Mojo which afforded the opportunity for all collaborators to learn from each other in order to create the conditions necessary for change to take place. A invite goes out to you the reader to be part of its future development by including them in the development of your Mojo programme.

15 https://www.google.ie/webhp?sourceid=chromeinstant&rlz=1C1GGGE_enGBIE430IE443&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=flourish

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The notion of male identity is explored and a shared understanding is developed.

Learning from Mojo in SDC has shown that once men feel they have permission to explore the notion of masculinity and male identity, they realise that a lot of the pressure they have been feeling is based on unrealistic ideals placed on them by society. That is to be the provider for their family even though Ireland is in the midst of a recession and to be the ‘strong one’ even though they may be struggling the most. In every group so far, the feedback from the men has been that it is reassuring to know that other men are also finding it difficult to cope. They learn from each other that being a ‘real man’ can mean experiencing challenges and that being a ‘real man’ can mean acknowledging struggles. This new learning often provides an opportunity for growth.

Participants and facilitators are equal in the developmental process.

The role of the Mojo facilitator is to explore options and choices with participants, not to dictate what a participant must or must not do. It is essential that facilitators and participants are equal partners in the development process with the choices, decisions and actions about the direction their lives will take, left firmly with the men.

Are supported by experienced, qualified and empathic facilitators.

All staff working on the Mojo programme must be highly qualified and experienced in their relevant fields. However, when working with participants, Mojo facilitators must have the ability to identify with and understand the challenges the men are facing on a daily basis. The facilitators must be skilled in the ability to draw on, and then share, personal experiences that communicates empathy and creates connections with the men. Mojo strives to construct an environment that is based on shared learning.

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By running seven cycles of Mojo, the partners in SDC have learned that the following work practices help to create a supportive setting for change: A welcoming space is created for the men each morning.

Co-facilitation is recommended, where possible, as the experience in SDC has shown this to be a positive experience both for the men and the facilitators. The team draw on partner organisations to provide support and they recruit peer workers who co-facilitate in a mentoring role.

Time is spent on team building, especially on the first morning the check in and introductions will take up most of the session. It will include the development of the working agreement, team building exercises, introducing the programme and housekeeping. On other mornings the check in can take up to 30 minutes as participants are encouraged to share information on how they are feeling.

Building a group agreement is central to the process

Mojo is an educational programme with a therapeutic value,

Mojo training programmes are closed groups once the programme starts as this facilitates the men to get to know each other and form a bond. 16

The facilitators work from a recovery focus and support the men to be the experts on themselves.

Mojo promotes the importance of learning from our past, but that living in the present, planning for the future and relating to others - in the best way that we can - is important to our wellbeing. Often people who are finding it difficult to cope have a tendency to dwell on their negative (past) experiences.

Mojo facilitators use training methodologies that are interactive and experiential. It is essential that the training materials are presented using an adult education model of learning. Feedback from most participants, at the end of most training sessions, identified that they would have liked more time. This is important to note as most participants on Mojo in SDC would not be accustomed to being in a learning environment. It is strongly recommended to facilitate the sessions in such a way that participants are actively engaged throughout which makes the learning experience more enjoyable.

The Mojo facilitators utilise adult guidance, mental health recovery and action planning methodologies with participants to explore their individual reasons for being unemployed by. The aim of the programme is to motivate participants to make choices that can effect positive change that in turn supports them to find their â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mojoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Food is available for break so that the men can sit and eat together as a key component of Mojo is the creation of social space.

Acknowledging achievement important part of Mojo,

at the end of each training programme it is important to celebrate the completion of the programme with a lunch. In SDC participants from previous Mojo programmes are invited to attend.

To summarise, having the key stages in place will help to ensure that the process has secure foundations on which to build the service. The guiding principles and work practices will then support and inform the development of a innovative training programme. MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 21

5: Building new Mojos

but it is not a therapy group. In the introduction to the programme this needs to be clarified and included in the group agreement. It can be helpful for the men to be aware that the facilitators can signpost them to therapeutic supports either online or operating in the community.

The facilitators focus is on the strengths of the men rather than on perceived deficits.

4: Why Mojo Works

as it helps to ensure that the participants are equal partners in the roll out of the programme. The agreement sets the tone for the programme, clarifies expectations, identifies acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, outlines structure for breaks and explores equality16. It is essential that the group agreement reflects the core principles of a Mojo programme and is reviewed at the start of every session.

In SDC after trialling variations of 10, 11 and 12 week programmes, the external evaluation demonstrated that 12 weeks was the most successful format.

2: Key principles andprinciples work practices Overview 2: Key and work3:practices

The team arrive at least 45 minutes before the participants as this gives them an opportunity to set up and be ready to sit with the men for a cup of tea when they arrive. This is especially important for the first couple of weeks so that the men feel supported as it is often a very stressful time for them.

The training programme runs for 12 weeks.

22 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

I now understand stress. I didn’t really know that was mainly why I wasn’t sleeping. I also learnt that it’s really, really, important to deal with. Quote from Mojo participant 2: Key principles andprinciples work practices Overview 2: Key and work3:practices 4: Why Mojo Works 5: Building new Mojos

MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 23

24 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

Section 3 Overview of the programme content, participants , structure and brand. The Mojo Plan

Introduction

The Mojo Plan is divided into 4 sections:

The Mojo programme has evolved based on shared learning between participants and facilitator. In its current evolution, it has four interconnected and equally important components that help the men to develop:

A description of what my life looks like (or would look like) when I have my Mojo.

wellbeing and resilience. the ability to set goals and take action. physical fitness. a male space that supports their social connectedness.

What are my goals in life and actions do I need to take in order to achieve them? My Mojo checklist -a list of questions that tells me whether or not my Mojo is in place17. A Mojo plan will give the men a clear picture of what they are like when they are feeling good and it will help them identify, on an ongoing basis, how to maintain it. It will also help them to identify what to do when they are not feeling so good. It is important to note with the men that as they change and develop so to should their Mojo plan. The programme structure

Goal Setting/ Action Planning

Mental Fitness

Physical Fitness

Morning 1 is facilitated over three hours and Morning 2 for four hours (to include one hour for physical fitness18). Originally, Mojo was run over 2 hours on both days; however feedback from participants led to the hours being increased. In SDC, Mojo sessions combine short inputs from the facilitators on a particular topic with small group discussions, group exercises and questions and answers.

On the programme the men create their ‘Mojo Plan’ (see the back cover), which is made up of the things they have learned that gives them a sense of wellbeing. 17 A Mojo plan can be downloaded from www.mojo-programme. org 18 The fitness part of the programme can be run on either day. MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 25

5: Building new Mojos

The model developed for Mojo is based on the notion that a healthy mind and body combined with the ability to set future goals and make connection with others, supports a person to maintain a good sense of wellbeing.

The programme is run over two mornings. Morning 1 focuses primarily on developing tools and techniques that support participants to manage ‘day to day’ living and things that may affect it, while Morning 2 primarily focuses on future planning and physical fitness. Both sections of the programme introduce the men to other supports and services, locally and nationally, that they can access to achieve their goals.

3: Overview 3:4: Why Mojo Works Overview

Creating Male Space

What things do I need to do daily, weekly and monthly to maintain my Mojo?

2: Key principles and work practices

Programme content

Morning 1 Wellness and Resilience Building Mojo Wellness and Resilience Building supports men who have been experiencing adversity to gain an understanding of mental health recovery and wellness so that they can build their resilience and respond positively to stress and stressful situations. Participants learn that mental distress can be a normal reaction to life’s challenges, but how they handle it will influence how it affects them. Over the duration of the course, participants learn to recognise the signs of stress and distress and, in turn, are supported to identify and choose more positive responses. By the end of the programme participants will know more about what supportive wellness and resilience options will form part of their ‘Mojo’ plan. The participants will also be aware of services, locally and regionally, that provide supports for their mental wellbeing19 and that can be used to help them to maintain their Mojo. In SDC one of the tools used to explore wellness and mental health recovery is the WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Planning) programme as it has received national20 and international21 recommendations. (Equally another recognised and validated wellness or mental health recovery training programme can be used, once it is in line with the core principles of Mojo.)

WRAP is a standalone programme that supports people to manage their mental health. However, from the experience of developing Mojo in SDC, it has become evident that providing a variety of sessions that promote positive mental health (managing anxiety, understanding mental health, our role in the family, exploring masculinity, building resilience, acupuncture, sleep, a journey towards selfacceptance, mindfulness and managing medication22 )creates a robust and effective programmefor participants. 23 The sessions are facilitated by a combination of Mojo staff and facilitators from organisations working locally or those who have a national/regional focus. The connection Mojo has to local and regional service providers, combined with the expertise and experience of staff will influence the shape of the wellness and resilience sessions. 19 See services information sheet template in Mojo resources www.mojo-programme.org 20 Higgins (2010) Evaluation of Mental Health Recovery and WRAP Education Programme. https://nursing-midwifery.tcd.ie/ assets/research/pdf/TCD-Evaluation-Report.pdf 21 Scottish Recovery Network, (2010), An Evaluation of wellness planning in self-help and mutual support groups, Scottish Centre for Social Research www.scottishrecovery.net/.../305Evaluation-of-WRAP-in-groups.html 22 Session plans are available on request 23 See the external evaluation for more information www.mojoprogramme.org 26 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

Over the course of the 12 weeks, mindfulness is increasing used throughout the session, but this depends on how receptive the participants are to it. Experience has shown the team in SDC that the participants are initially a little sceptical, but once they are introduced to it they often ask for the time spent on it to be increased. Mindfulness training has taken traction, in mental health and community based services, as a way for people to manage their mental health. Participants learn through mindfulness to actively choose more positive responses to life challenges. Implementing mindfulness into a daily routine supports a person to respond rather than to react to challenging situations, potentially effecting more positive outcomes.

“Mojo has given me a language to help describe how I feel. That has been great. I didn’t have that before and didn’t really know what was going on, and what to do. The way WRAP was delivered made it easy for me to ask questions and to tease things out. I feel much more in control.” (Quote from participant)

About WRAP WRAP is a structured model that supports participants to develop strategies to manage their mental health. WRAP introduces participants to the notion of mental health recovery, which focuses on the positive aspects of a person’s life, rather than on perceived deficits. WRAP supports people to understand the key concepts of recovery: Hope, Personal Responsibility, Education, Self-advocacy and Support and provides a guide for developing an individualised WRAP. An individualised WRAP contains the things in life that make us feel good (wellness tools) and things that can make us feel bad (triggers) while helping us to identify when we need to take action at varying signs of unwellness (early warning signs and when things are getting worse), culminating in developing a plan for if (or when) we hit a crisis and then for when the crisis ends (post-crisis plan)24. The Wellness and Resilience course is run for three hours per week for 12 weeks totalling 36 hours25. 15 hours allocated for resilience building, 15 hours are allocated to wellness/mental health recovery (WRAP), and 6 hours are allocated for social space.

24 More information on WRAP is available on www. mentalhealthrecovery.com 25 Originally this part of the programme was run for two hours per week, but the participants asked for it to be increased.

Morning 2, part 2 Physical Exercise

Mojo Life Planning supports men, who have been experiencing adversity, to create positive futures by either exploring pathways to; work; education; volunteering; or other activities that promote a sense of wellbeing. Participants’ explore the blocks that are preventing them from achieving their dreams and learn to develop a plan that will support them to have their Mojo.

Morning 2, part 2 focuses on developing the participants’ fitness levels by introducing them to a fitness programme that can be accessed by everyone and that is adaptable to suit the needs of the group.

The Life Planning Facilitator provides high quality, independent and objective information to participants on how to choose jobs, explore education/ training opportunities or other activities that support a sense of wellbeing. It is essential that the facilitator has the ability to appropriately challenge the participants to move beyond their blocks and set realistic goals for their future.

‘I felt useless as an individual, I would have done anything but there was no work. I wasn’t the provider anymore. Some days I just started staying in bed, that wasn’t any good’.

Attending the Mojo Life Planning sessions will support participants to identify a direction in which they would like to take their lives. They will have a heightened understanding of themselves including their skills, abilities and preferences; while being more aware of types of environments they will flourish in. Participants will also have identified tangible actions with the steps to get there built into their Mojo plan. Every participant is offered two one-to-one sessions with the Life Planning Facilitator to explore the development of their personal action plans. If during these sessions the need for more in-depth support with particular issues arises, the facilitator will signpost the participant to appropriate services.

“There is a lot of information out there. I now have my CV updated and have started to really look for jobs. I even went for an interview last week. I didn’t get the job but I am back out there which is as a result of Mojo.”

“Going to the gym was great. I had stopped looking after myself physically. Doing a bit of weight training made me feel positive. It was good to get out with the lads, have a chat, do some exercise and go home. I am now much more open to physical exercise and can see how it might help.” (Quote from participant).

Mojo as Male Space From a Mojo perspective, male space is created to facilitate men to be who ‘they are’ rather than who ‘they think’ they should be. Many men on Mojo feel the need to conform to the stereotypical male roles placed on them by society26 (the provider or the strong one), which they often cannot fulfil. It is Mojo’s belief that to restrict a man’s right to express their true emotional state can lead to them feeling emasculated and distressed. On Mojo the men have an opportunity to deconstruct the notion of ‘maleness’. With the support of other men, in a group setting, the men construct a new understanding of what it means to be a man that supports a sense of wellbeing. The participants get the tools (know how) necessary to bring about positive change. The programme staff set the scene for experimenting, in a very safe environment, with new ways of expressing emotions that builds positive social connections.

(quote from Mojo participant) 26 In Ireland we live in society based on patriarchal and heteronormative constructs that prevents men from expressing their emotions for fear of being labelled as weak or less than. MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 27

5: Building new Mojos

The Life Planning component also draws on the expertise available locally. Service providers facilitate workshops with the participants in order to develop their skills and build their knowledge.

The aim of the fitness component is to introduce participants to functional fitness and to promote its benefits. Developing fitness is achieved through a combination of power walking, mobility exercises and resistance activities. As the programme progresses some circuit and interval training is introduced. In addition, the importance of better posture, mobility and stretching are explored.

3: Overview 3:4: Why Mojo Works Overview

(quote from Mojo participant)

Initially, the Mojo programme had two fitness sessions as part of the core training. Feedback from men on the first Mojo suggested incorporating physical fitness as an integral and separate component of the programme. An hour was added to Morning 2 to accommodate the fitness course and an instructor was engaged.

2: Key principles and work practices

Morning 2, Part 1 Life Planning

28 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

Creating Social Space

To recap, on Mojo the participants are supported to be the experts on themselves and to take responsibility for the direction their lives take. They identify their goals and what action they need to take in order to achieve them. The job of facilitators is to provide the necessary conditions so that participants can figure out how they want to be in the world and what their lives would look like if they had their Mojo.

“Before I started Mojo I felt like I was looking in at the world. It was like a foggy window and I was looking in. Now I feel part of the world around me. I am part of wider society. It’s very hard to describe how positive this feels.”

Through a blend of group work and individual coaching sessions, men leave the programme more; confident in what they have to offer the world;

The recruitment of participants will develop over the lifetime of the programme. For the first Mojo programme run locally a significant amount of time and effort will go into identifying the participants. However, the experience of running Mojo in SDC demonstrated that filling subsequent places was automatic and just a matter of letting people know the date of the next programme. The ease at which you will fill a course will be dependent on the quality of the programme; the buy in from the participants; and the level of satisfaction experienced by the referrers. In SDC it was very challenging to get the first 10 men on to the programme, but for subsequent courses it was necessary to increase the number to 13 as the demand was so high. In fact, for all subsequent courses at least 16 participants could have been recruited, but it was decided that 13 is the capacity with the expectation that one (or two) participant(s) would leave the course early on.

‘Mojo was very effective, and it was easy to refer to. Knowing the contacts made it easier. I had a lots of confidence in the staff and the model’. (Referrer to Mojo)

Participant profiles A unique and extremely rich aspect of Mojo is the mix of men who attend the programme. The two factors that the men have in common are that they are unemployed and motivated to make changes to their lives. In SDC the programmes have being run with men ranging in age from 22 to 65. Some participants have worked all their lives and lost their jobs because of the recession; some have never worked; others have enduring mental or physical health challenges and some have no understanding of mental health. Age, education attainment, social background, work history, mental health, relationship status or sexual identity become irrelevant once the group forms and bonds. From the experience in SDC, the bonding happens over a three week period after which the participants become protective of the group, especially the men who are more vulnerable27.

aware of how to balance work, education, family and social life; understanding of their particular skills and abilities; knowledgeable of what support they need; able to access training, education, employment or volunteering opportunities. 27 For more detailed information on the participant profiles read the external evaluation available on the Mojo website. MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 29

5: Building new Mojos

(Quote from participant, September 2013)

Recruiting participants

3: Overview 3:4: Why Mojo Works Overview

An important part of Mojo is the time given to the social space, which is intended as a response to the isolation the men report feeling as a consequence of being unemployed. It is a space for participants to develop connections with each other as they prepare and eat food in a group setting. It is also a space for the facilitators to get to know the group.

The programme participants

2: Key principles and work practices

It is evident from working with the men on Mojo, that once they feel free to express how they are feeling, without the need to conform; the expression of emotion becomes the norm. Creating male space that depends on social connections sets Mojo apart from traditional men’s (therapy or skills based) groups. In fact, the success of the process depends on the men forming social bonds while offering mutual support.

“I have always been really quiet, I don’t say much. This has a big impact, at school I never spoke, in relationships I didn’t say much - I have been ignored my whole life because of my shyness. However, I should say I was! I can’t believe what’s happened in Mojo - I keep hearing myself speak and I have lots to say. I have never said so much!! I was in such a bad place last Christmas before Mojo, my marriage broke down. Now I am talking, asking questions, enjoying the banter - it’s like there is a new, more confident me. My mental health is so much better and I have hope for the future again” (quote from Mojo participant)

Referral pathways

It is important to actively engage the potential services that will refer to the programme (metal health, employment, GPs, education, local services providers, men’s groups, community groups). Some referrers need to be met on a one-to-one basis, others can be met in clusters e.g. mental health service staff and GPs. To support this process it has been be very helpful in SDC to identify a champion for Mojo within the key referral professions as they will support access to the other key people in their profession. In SDC a number of AG members fulfilled this role. In SDC the lead agency (SDCP) had a number of established contacts in some of the areas, but equally important they had a built a solid reputation for the development and provision of professionally run programmes. Having established contacts and a good reputation for service provision made the job of the Programme Manager somewhat easier when it came to advocating on behalf of the Mojo programme. A strong suggestion when developing a Mojo programme is that, where possible, the lead agency for each programme has strong links in the local community and is highly regarded by statutory and non-statutory organisations.

Progression pathways One of the measurements of the success of Mojo is the progression of participants. This does not necessitate that a participant moves on to another course, programme or job, but it does necessitate that they have developed an individual Mojo plan that supports their sense of wellbeing. In SDC at the time of writing this toolkit the team have worked with 88 participants. It is becoming evident that the men attending the programme fit, albeit crudely, into three categories:

Men who are going to require long term support because of a physical, mental or situational issue. Often mainstream education or work places are not suitable, so the men will require appropriate long term supportive environments.

‘I tried yoga after the course; I never would have done that before. I quite liked it too! I am much better at looking after myself now.’ (quote from Mojo participant)

Men who will need a placement post-Mojo that supports them to access the mainstream education or work places.

“I was stuck in a boring job for 20 years. Nobody asked me my point of view; I just turned up and felt like a machine. I was made redundant at Christmas, I didn’t know what to do, where to turn. I was panicked. The timing of Mojo was great; I started in February and am looking forward. I want to work but don’t want to go back into that type of environment. I want to learn and have a job that matters, that is what I would like help with.” (quote from Mojo participant)

Men who just needed Mojo to help them to refocus and identify their options.

30 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

‘It wasn’t really explained to me proper, I went to show social welfare that I was going to courses. I stuck it out but it wasn’t for me’.

When thinking about progression pathways it is important to keep these three categories in mind. It is also important to develop progression pathways with participants in their one-to-one sessions always based on what the participant wants to do as opposed to what the facilitators think they should be doing.

Sharing information/Consent

Every participant attending Mojo is given a code to protect their identity e.g. Mojo 1, Mojo2. After every session each lead facilitator is required to fill out a handover report to capture how the session went and emerging issues for the programme participants29. This report, using the participants’ codes to identify them, is handed over to the other lead facilitator. If a significant mental health issue emerges the Programme Manager will be contacted. They in turn will contact the participant and, if appropriate, their referrer to discuss how they may access support. Otherwise the information is used to build on the next session. Every two weeks the lead facilitators meet to discuss the progress of each participant in detail. This allows for an opportunity to explore options and discuss possible services that may be available to offer support. Supporting staff to support participants It is important that staff working directly in service provision have regular access to support and supervision. It is recommended by Mojo that the two lead staff and any other relevant staff have two group support sessions throughout the programme. It is suggested that these take place around week 5 and again at the end of the programme. It is important that this support is offered by a person qualified to do so.

5: Building new Mojos

Staff from local services and family members who make referrals to the programme sometimes ask for updates on the participants that they refer, but the team in SDC are reluctant to do so because: Mojo support’s the men to take personal responsibility and to self-advocate; therefore it should be the participants who give updates on their status. It is important to ensure that participants are not attending Mojo in order to fulfil any requirement placed on them by a State agency.

3: Overview 3:4: Why Mojo Works Overview

Before starting the course every participant is required to sign a consent form about sharing their information. Consent is explained clearly to participants so that they can give informed consent28. It is essential that the participants are aware of whom information will be shared with and what type of information is shared. On Mojo in SDC the team explain that the two lead facilitators (including the Programme Manager) will share all information on participants with each other. Only high level information (numbers attending the group, emerging issues, age profiles, educational attainment and referral point) will be shared with the AG and the managing agent. Identifying information on the participants will not be shared outside of the staff team. It should be explained very clearly to participants that confidence of a participant will only be broken if the staff team believe them to be a risk to themselves or someone else. The participants should also be informed about the team’s responsibility under the Children First Guidelines and that if there is any potential risk to a child that a Child Protection Social Worker will be made aware of it.

Team communication on participants

2: Key principles and work practices

Progression pathways will very much depend on what is available to the participant. Some areas of Ireland have better job opportunities, more access to education facilities and better equipped auxiliary services. If the participant is not able or willing to travel, then it will be dependent on what training, education, employment or volunteering services are available locally.

(Quote from a Mojo Participant)

29 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 31

32 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

Programme Manager (14 hours)

Adult Guidance Support Coordinator (9 hours)

Programme structure including staff profiles Programme structure It is possible to manage the programme over 14 hours thus reasonable to combine the Programme Manager’s role with either that of the Wellness and Resilience or the Life Planner’s role. It is not recommended that one person leads both components of Mojo as the participants benefit from the input of different perspectives.

Life Planning or a Wellness and Resilience Facilitator. Fitness instructor. Admin Support Worker (this can be provided by the lead agency). As the programme develops, depending on how it is structured and who makes up the staff team will impact on the programme’s structure. The following are some things to consider when thinking about developing a Mojo programme:

WRAP: If WRAP is being used as a component of Mojo, it is important that this is facilitated by two people who are trained in WRAP. As cost is a factor for many programmes, SDC are exploring the option of engaging peer workers to support the process. The idea will be to train and then mentor a peer to work alongside the core staff. Not only can the programme be supported by this

initiative, but it will also enhance the capacity of the peer worker. After Mojo: Mojo was initially designed to be a brief intervention that supported men to access other, more established services locally. However, early on in the facilitation of the first Mojo programme, the men identified feeling less isolated and feeling more connected to their peers. The men reported that this was something they believed should be continued and that the Mojo programme organisers facilitate. Over time it was agreed that the programme organisers would partner the men in establishing a Mojo Men’s Shed30, which would have a specific theme of wellness and resilience. The Mojo programme provides a Support Worker for five hours per month to help the men establish the Shed and some funding to cover running costs. The Programme Manager acts as a mentor to the men in the Shed.

“The Men’s Shed is one of the highlights of my week. There are great relationships and friendships between the men. It doesn’t matter if you did Mojo 1 or 2 or at all - we have all gelled really well. We can relate to each other. I know when I come here that I can talk, I will be listened to and nobody will judge” (Quote from a member of the Men’s Shed).

As the men on Mojo have identified the need for continued exploration of wellbeing and resilience, the Mojo team in SDC are piloting an evening programme ‘To find your Mojo’ by running a range of sessions on life planning, adult guidance and wellness in the Mojo Shed. The programme will be open to any man living in SDC. For this to happen, the programme has invested in staff hours to provide the services. The SDC evening programme will be run by existing programme staff and in turn their weekly hours will be increased to reflect this. 30 Based on the coproduction model used in mental health recovery MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 33

5: Building new Mojos

Gender: It is important to have a mix of genders facilitating the programme. If there are two females leading the programme, this might necessitate the need to have a peer worker acting in a supportive role. If there are two males leading the programme then it may be advisable to draw on a female pool of facilitators from the external agencies supporting the roll out of the training.

Admin Support (3.5 hours)

3: Overview 3:4: Why Mojo Works Overview

To run a Mojo programme requires a: Programme Manager who also coordinates one of the training days.

Fitness Instructor (1 hour)

2: Key principles and work practices

Wellness and Resilience Coordinator (7hours)

The programme structure including an aftercare programme:

Programme Manager (14 hours)

Wellness and Resilience Coordinator (7hours)

Adult Guidance Support Coordinator (9 hours)

Fitness Instructor (1 hour)

Admin Support (3.5 hours)

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shed Support (5 hours per week)

Â&#x201E;Â&#x201E; Participant networking and communication: As the programme grows the time spent on networking and communicating with the past participants will grow accordingly. Tracking participants is important for the following reasons: It allows to update past participants on Mojo activities and events.

It will support the collection information on the needs of past participants which will inform the development of the programmatic content for upcoming Mojos. It affords the opportunity to motivate past participants to take positive action, when needed. It will identify those men most in need of additional support, so that the Programme Manager can follow up and offer to support them to access appropriate services. It will help to record progression rates that can validate the continued success of the programme.

34 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

NB Participants will only continue to be contacted if they consent to it. The option of a check in call on a monthly or bimonthly basis will be offered. Participants are asked if they would like to go on a mailing list to be kept updated on upcoming events. Communicating with men has the potential to be a time consuming role. SDC are piloting the use of a Tus worker to fulfil this role, but equally another labour market initiative could be used. In SDC they are expanding the role to support communication of the programme to all our stakeholders (past participants, potential participants, referrers, AG, and the local community31).

2: Key principles and work practices

3: Overview 3:4: Why Mojo Works Overview

5: Building new Mojos

MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 35

The programme structure including the Communications Support Worker:

Programme Manager (14 hours)

Wellness and Resilience Coordinator (7hours)

Adult Guidance Support Coordinator (9 hours)

Staff profiles

Detailed job descriptions that include staff profiles are available in the Mojo resources. However, it is vital that all staff working on Mojo have the ability to: Be authentic in their work. Facilitators need to be able to draw on their own personal experience to connect with the group without necessarily sharing detailed information. Motivate and challenge the group in a respectful way. Be flexible in their approach, which means they may have to adapt their material depending on the group. Empathise with the group members. Be open to accommodating group members to participate, even though they might not fit into the traditional notion of class participation.

Communications Support Worker

Fitness Instructor (1 hour)

Men’s Shed Support (20 hours per month)

The profile of the Programme Manager of Mojo is challenging as it requires someone who has a number of core skills and attributes in addition to the ones mentioned above. They need to have: A background in mental health with an in-depth understanding of mental health recovery. Experience of working in interagency, multidisciplinary settings (leading them would be a distinct advantage). The ability to challenge established structures and working practices (when necessary) in a constructive way in order to advocate for the seven stages and core principles of Mojo to be in place. Training and programme development experience. The ability to influence decision makers in statutory and non-statutory agencies. An understanding of community development.

Support participants to achieve their true potential.

Excellent facilitation skills.

Integrate the core conditions of Mojo into their work.

The ability to communicate with a range of people including professionals, community members, potential participants and local media.

Work from a mental health recovery focus. Reflect on their own experience of mental health challenges and other life experiences. In addition to their individual role requirements, it is recommended that all staff have completed: Seminar 1 WRAP training. ASSIST Training.

‘Leadership was extremely impressive, it had a strong vision and it felt worthwhile. Without the leadership I think we could have dropped off. Support and encouragement is necessary, and there is also a need for a supportive management structure’. (Advisory Group Member)

36 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

The role of the PROGRAMME MANAGER is crudely broken down as follows: 7 hours for coordinating/facilitating one part of the programme. 7 hours managing the programme including staff.

‘It is so different from the work that I do that it was really satisfying to do something so innovative and so different to our usual work’. (Quote from external facilitator)

In SDC the commitment given by external facilitators is that they will facilitate three sessions per year i.e. one per Mojo cycle.

3 hours for programme development.

The Mojo programme in SDC has had the following agencies involved in the delivery of the programme, not all necessarily on the same programme as it often depends on their availability and participants need:

External facilitators Part of the richness and innovation of Mojo is the number of diverse people who facilitate different aspects of the programme. Thereby, participants are exposed to a variety of perspectives on mental health, employment, education and fitness. Engaging the external facilitators may initially be challenging, but from the experience of developing Mojo in SDC, it is essential that they see it as adding value to their core work. The external facilitators will be involved in Mojo for various reasons, including:

it will a way of reaching their target group in a group setting,

Citizens Information Service, Threshold Training Network, HSE Mental Health Service, South Dublin County Council (social work department), HSE Primary Care Team, The Village Counselling Service and Suicide or Survive. Life Planning Employability, Department of Social Protection (Intero), Local Employment Service, South Dublin County Partnership (education), Tallaght Adult Education Service, MABS, South Dublin County Volunteer Centre.

it will be a way of promoting a particular message,

Fitness

working with the group will be of particular interest to them.

South Dublin Sports Partnership.

3: Overview 3:4: Why Mojo Works Overview

it will be a method of promoting their services and therefore, increasing referrals,

Wellness and Resilience

2: Key principles and work practices

4 hours communicating with key stakeholders including referrers, participants, funders and managing agent.

5: Building new Mojos

MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 37

A programme to support men who are affected by the recession and/or unemployment. The target group are men who are: Directly affected by the recession and/or unemployment, which has increased their risk to distress 20 years or older Living in South County Dublin Motivated to change Able to participate in a 11 week programme, 2 mornings per week, starting April 15th 2014. Participation on this course will not affect your social welfare benefits. 3

38 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

Photo copyright Tomรกs Maher

CREATING M A L E SPA C E

The Mojo Brand The brand

Losing your Mojo has also come to mean losing your zest for life, hence the use of Mojo to name the programme as men can more easily identify with getting their prowess back over learning to manage their mental health.

(Quote from a Mojo participant’s partner).

Advertising the training programme When advertising an upcoming Mojo a useful template to follow is to send a poster33 by email and/ or post to a number of key groups and individuals and ask them to advertise the programme in their agency and/or workplace and on their website. The list of potential referrers includes: Agencies involved in the AG Relevant local service providers, statutory and non-statutory. GPs Local community groups In addition, it might be useful to contact the local radio stations and newspapers to advertise Mojo in their social sections. In SDC, The Echo newspaper ran a number of articles on the programme.

“I saw Mojo in my doctor’s surgery. There was a poster and I talked to my doctor about it. I then made the call and here I am. I don’t look up the internet or any of that, so catchy posters are the way to get to men like me. Having the poster in the doctor’s was a great idea.”

Over time a significant number of men will selfrefer to Mojo (up to 50% on some courses in SDC), which is ultimately the optimum referral pathway as it demonstrates them taking responsibility for their own well-being. Anecdotal information gained from the participants and captured in the external evaluation demonstrated that the female partners of potential participants support these self-referrals so are a valuable ally in motivating men ‘in distress’ to access support.

(Quote from Mojo participant)

32 During a focus group a participant called her boyfriend Mick ??? to ask for his suggestions and he came up with Mojo.

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5: Building new Mojos

Feedback from participants identified that the name was one of the reasons why they found it more attractive to attend the programme. Many participants felt that it was much easier to tell their family and friends that they were on Mojo rather than on a mental health programme.

3: Overview 3:4: Why Mojo Works Overview

The fictional character, Austin Powers referred to it (Mojo) as his ability to satisfy ‘the ladies’ and Jim Morrison sang about his ‘Mojo Risin’ also referring to his sexual prowess.

“My husband has really opened up. He talks a lot more about himself, how he is feeling and he uses different language to express himself. He definitely learned that through Mojo. Overall his attitude is much more open to new things, new ideas a new future. I think that this programme has supported him through a really tough time and he is in a much better place since he started on Mojo.”

2: Key principles and work practices

Mojo was developed over a 12 month period, before the first men started on the programme. The lead in time given to develop and establish the programme was invaluable for many reasons; importantly, it gave the programme a very sound structure on which to be built. But, it also allowed space for the Programme Manager to brand the project so that it would be attractive to men. Anecdotal information combined with research highlights that men are notoriously hard to engage in mental health initiatives. There are many reasons why men do not engage, including: the fear of being stigmatised, not identifying with wellness and mental wellbeing and general apathy about seeking support. With all of this in mind a significant amount of time was spent in focus groups to generate a suitable name for the programme as the original working title was ‘Men at risk to suicide’, which was deemed unsuitable for the reasons mentioned previously. Eventually, Mojo32 was chosen as it said exactly what the programme is about – finding your Mojo:

Mojo spoke to men instantly and did not require much explaining. In SDC the experience of working with the participants’ demonstrated that once they become familiar with the language of mental health, wellness and wellbeing they become comfortable using these terms. Attending Mojo gives men ‘permission’ to talk openly about how they are feeling while also giving them the language to voice their concerns and feelings.

“My husband was starting to get into himself, the start of depression. I brought home the circular (the Mojo advert); I saw it at work and asked him to think about finding out more about Mojo. After a few days he made the phone call, he started the course and started to really enjoy it. I suppose I just wanted him to get some of his Mojo back.” (Quote from interview with a partner of a Mojo participant)

A typical Mojo training programme timeline in SDC Morning 1 9.00-9.15am

Facilitators arrive to set up the room and prepare themselves for the morning ahead.

9.30-9.45 am

Participants arrive and have a cup of tea/coffee.

10.00am

Welcome and check in.

10:30am

Programme activities. It is advisable to use a number of facilitating methodologies throughout the session that are primarily focused on experiential learning.

11.15 am

Social break. On the first morning the facilitators can prepare the food for break, but after this the participants should be encouraged to take it in turns to set the table, put out the food and clean up afterwards.

11.45

Workshops facilitators

12:45

Feedback and check out.

13.00

Participants leave. Lead facilitator reflects with co-facilitator on the session and fills out the handover report.

13.30

Finish.

Mojo certification The men who complete the programme receive a Mojo certificate34. The certificate refers to a personal development programme that includes Seminar 1 WRAP, Resilience Building, and Adult Guidance and physical fitness. To date, a more formal recognition of Mojo through the education sector has not been sought as it is important that participants are gently reintroduced, in many cases introduced, to education without the pressure of completing formal course work. The 12 week Mojo training programme is a kickstart, stepping stone programme that supports men to access, if needed, more long term interventions whether they have an education, health, or employment focus. Mojo Training Venue

Bearing in mind that space can often be at a premium and difficult to find, it is important to find a venue to run Mojo that is attractive and accessible to men. With a little bit of creativity and a small amount of funding a regular training room can be adapted so that it does not resemble a classroom. In SDC the team are very lucky to be provided with the FTU (Flexible Training Unit) which is a space, specifically designed for unemployed men and that is managed by SDCP. As a number of Mojo participants may not have had a very good experience of education, it is important that we do not recreate a classroom situation. In SDC the team use the horseshoe set-up for the room and the facilitators use a flipchart. The room is set up in such a way that when tables are used they can be brought in when needed. Setting up the tables afford the opportunity to take a quick break and change up the energy in the room.

with

external

Morning 2 Morning 2 is the same set up as Morning 1, but at 13.00 the men do an hour of physical activity with the fitness instructor. In addition to the two mornings for 12 weeks, the participants will also have two one-to-one sessions with the Life Planning Facilitator. Times for these sessions will be agreed with the participants. In a nutshell, the Mojo training programme is the tool used to engage the men on a journey of discovery. The journey is based in experimentation and risk taking in order to create new opportunities. The solid foundations and work practices that surround the programme help to ensure that the men feel supported enough to take their tentative first steps to realising their Mojo.

‘They made me feel wanted and loved, we could say what we wanted, they drew the truth from us’. ‘We were listened to and treated like adults’. 34 40 MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space

(Quotes from Mojo participants about the facilitators)

2: Key principles and work practices

3: Overview 3:4: Why Mojo Works Overview

5: Building new Mojos

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We all threw our stuff on the table, the staff were the gravy that bought it all together. Quote from a Mojo participant

2: Key principles and work practices 3: Overview 3:4: Why Mojo Works Overview 5: Building new Mojos

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Section 4 Why Mojo works

While writing this section, I spoke to a number of the key people involved in the development of the programme in order to capture their understanding of why Mojo works. These conversations acknowledged the importance of the co-ordinating role that I played, which encouraged me to write a reflection on the practice as part of the toolkit. This account represents a collective voice of the partners and collaborators involved in Mojo.

Here goes…

The Mojo partners include the men, members of the advisory group, the facilitators, the referrers, the evaluators and everyone who was interviewed to inform the programme.

The role of the coordinator (Derek) was crucial. His energy and commitment really drove the project and made it happen (Quote from Juile Cruickshank, Transformation Development Officer/Social Inclusion Manager, HSE)

The initial meeting focused on generating ideas for the programme and exploring challenges. The main challenges we faced were the lack of interagency working protocols and, the elephant in the room, how can statutory agencies (possibly) share information on patients/clients with the community based services. I knew, based on individual conversations with the new AG members, that if the interagency process was to work, all partners had to feel equal notwithstanding that they all came from different disciplines. It was important that everyone felt that what they brought to the table was recognised as expertise. 2 The working title for the programme prior to developing the Mojo brand. MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 45

5: Building new Mojos

Mojo is successful because it is being built with the combined previous experience and knowledge of the many partners1 involved in its development. Every partner brings their own interest and expertise to the table, which has shaped the Mojo model and, as new partners engage with the programme, will continue to shape it in the future. Importantly, I was given huge scope (by the project promoters and funders) to experiment with implementing the shared learning.

My first three months on Mojo were spent getting to know the people who were working with men in South Dublin County (SDC) and those outside the area who could potentially support me with my assigned task. In the three months, I identified 14 people from 12 agencies, statutory and non-statutory, who would come together to explore the possibility of setting up an interagency, multidisciplinary programme for ‘men at risk to suicide’2. The Advisory Group (AG) was instigated. Some of the people were harder to convince than others, but many cups of coffee and fascinating conversations later, the first meeting took place.

4: Why Mojo Works

I can tell you, the reader, why I think Mojo works based on personal experience; feedback from the men; and external evaluations, but the experience of sharing the information with you first hand will be missing, and therefore, I suspect, somewhat lacking.

A little context

3: Overview

Reflecting on why Mojo works has been a challenging process because I am only beginning to develop the language to describe it in such a way that I will do it justice. Of course, I could write about the fact that we work in partnership and that we are developing a programme that is eclectic and dynamic, but that does not go nearly far enough to describe the profound change (which could also be described as magical change) that takes place for those involved. Getting to the heart of what is different about Mojo has been difficult. I am not sure that I am there yet, but I will do my best to give you a picture of what we have achieved so far.

I was aware that I was using the knowledge gathered through conversations with various people at the different stages of Mojo’s development to shape the programme. However, until recently, I did not understand the significance of these conversations. I also knew that I was cultivating the champions for the programme through building relational connections. What I had not done was link the impact of this combination (conversations and relational connections). I had been building Mojo tacitly without realising it. Essentially, the solid foundations for Mojo are shored up by the harnessing of the vast experience, knowledge and expertise of its partners.

2: Key principles and work practices

Introduction

The collaboration among the voluntary groups and the statutory services was one of the most interesting facets of the project. There were no guidelines about how such collaborations could function at the level of individual/clinical care

(One of the interesting things about Mojo is the informal agreements made with often very formal organisations. One such arrangement is with the Department of Social Protection (DSP), in that men attending Mojo are entitled to keep all their benefits. In fact, a significant number of our referrals come from DSP.)

(Quote from Professor Veronica Keane, Consultant Psychiatrist AMiNCH Hospital).

Once the protocols were completed, the next phase was to develop an intervention to engage the men. Initially, it was envisaged by the programme promoters that I would facilitate the programme as I had a mental health and training background. From previous experience, I knew that it would take more than one facilitator to deliver an innovative response to men ‘in distress’. My belief was that it would take the skill of a number of dynamic people. Also, if we were truly to be an interagency response, a cross section of agencies would need to be involved in its delivery. Five members of the AG were experienced facilitators3 and all expressed an interest in being actively involved. We worked together to develop and, in turn, facilitate the programme. The combination of working together to develop the protocols and the training programme meant that there was collective ownership for Mojo.

Based on my previous interagency experience and conversations with people who had established interagency programmes, I knew that figuring out how to achieve parity among the partners and to build communal trust were the tasks at hand. The first of which was to agree a terms of reference for the AG that supported the creation of a shared understanding of how we planned to work together.

The work in the set up phase was about thinking and discussing and crucially building the interagency relationship and shared understanding. Taking time is key to new approaches as distinct from new programme implementation (Quote from Anna Lee, former CEO SDCP).

It became evident as the months went by that the AG were forming as a team and their engagements with each other slowly developed into very strong working relationships. The meetings, although formal in their structure, had a very informal air about them. The relaxed astrosphere was developed in part because the meetings were held over lunchtime with the sharing of food as a central component. Most people involved could sense that we were part of something exciting and potentially great, which I think helped keep people motivated. The AG members knew that we were working together in order to create something innovative that had the potential to reach a particularly vulnerable group to suicide.

We drafted, and honed a set of guidelines that allowed all participants to work within safe boundaries where client/ patient participation and confidentiality were paramount. (Quote from Professor Veronica Keane, Consultant Psychiatrist AMiNCH Hospital).

After six months of key people in SDC working together we had 14 champions promoting the programme in the community. This promotion helped with referrals to the programme and it also helped to get buy in from the local service providers so that they would help facilitate particular parts of the programme.

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‘We became more like a team than a group of individuals, I think it’s because we were all singing from the same hymn sheet and we were all informed about what is was we were there to do.’ (Quote Des Moran, AG member)

As Mojo was only funded for a three year period, spending a year building the interagency element without engaging our target group was a difficult sell for some people, but the National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) trusted that we were developing an innovative response, based in good practice. In hindsight, the strength and commitment of the interagency team is one of the key reasons why Mojo continues to be successful today.

As a funder, NOSP was assured that at each step of this project, the principles of good practice were applied. This was reflected in the guidelines and protocols developed with key stakeholders (Quote from Paula Forrest, Senior Executive Officer, NOSP).

3 Angela Keegan (Threshold Training Network), Des Moran (The Village Counselling Service), Niamh Milliken (Social Worker, SDCC), Patrice Reilly (Social Worker, HSE) and Derek McDonnell (SDCP)

The Mojo facilitators

The notion of shared ownership and learning was continued once we engaged the participants. Right away the men were made aware that they were partners in this new initiative and that although it had been developed over a long period of time, by an eclectic mix of experienced people, no one knew if it would work. Although terrifying for the facilitators and most likely the participants, it was also very exciting to be part of. Being upfront with the men about the fact that we were all in uncharted waters helped to create a sense of ‘we are in this together’ as equal partners. (This sense of ownership is offered to the men from programme to programme.) As facilitators we wanted to create a space where men could come together to explore themselves in the hope that they would figure out a way to feel better, while forming social connections.

Experimenting on Mojo has been a very exciting opportunity for all the facilitators involved in its development, notwithstanding that it has brought with it some challenging times and difficult conversations.

(Quote from a Mojo participant)

(Quote from Bridget Harney, Mojo Facilitator).

Part of the challenges for the facilitators has been to bring themselves into the work. To move beyond ‘the professional’ and be more of a person who also has challenges in their lives. On Mojo as facilitators we identify with the men and their struggles as people and not just as professionals. Although, we are very aware of our boundaries in relation to accessing support. We get our support through peer review and supervision, but we do let the men know that we too have struggles in life.

Angela led the welless and resilience sessions for the first three cycles. MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 47

5: Building new Mojos

This new found confidence led to a journey of discovery, and risk taking, which ultimately realised that the Mojo men, with the support of the Mojo facilitators, reached beyond their past experiences to create new futures. The learning from implementing Mojo 1, supported the development of Mojo 2 and so on, which has resulted in our current Mojo 7 being remarkably different in its structure and content, but almost identical in its ability to offer communal support that allows those who wish to, figure ‘stuff out’. Most importantly, Mojo offers an opportunity to deconstruct the, often disabling, notion of male identity, in a practical way, and allows the men to reconstruct a new identity that supports a sense of wellbeing.

“Working within Mojo has felt different to other work I have done because it has been a programme with a strong identity and ethos. Having permission to benefit from a program as a facilitator, not just in relation to the role of facilitator, but as person, has opened up opportunities to redefine my sense of what it is to be a peer.”

4: Why Mojo Works

“I have continued to build up my confidence. I am going back to school, I left very early and my reading and writing is very bad. I just found out that I have a place. It’s brilliant. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have taken that step if I hadn’t become involved on Mojo. It has really changed me.”

Over the seven cycles of Mojo we have continued to develop our work practice whereby we strive to create the necessary conditions for the Mojo men to take control of their lives. As some of our facilitators come from the traditional mental health and training settings, this model of participant led engagement has proven a challenging space for them to be in. They are no longer the experts, fixing problems, now they are facilitators exploring options and alternatives. They are working in partnership with the men and are often benefiting just as much from the experience.

3: Overview

Experiencing the first group of men on Mojo sitting nervously in a circle wondering what they had let themselves in for and then to begin to form bonds with each other (and the facilitators) was when I knew that the programme had real potential. The bonding allowed the exploration to begin. In some ways it felt like being in an episode of Star Trek…To boldly go where no man has gone before! The support in the room grew stronger week by week and with it the confidence of participants and facilitators alike.

I was introduced to the notion of mental health recovery in action by Angela Keegan4, whereby the individual is supported to be the expert on themselves. This notion challenges the role of the professional being the expert: the decision to recover lies firmly with the individual.

2: Key principles and work practices

Engaging the men

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Quote from a mental health professional

2: Key principles and work practices

People in the local area could see the value to it and this was reflected in an increase in referrals to Mojo programme two. Mojo has shown a light on how to work effectively with men.

3: Overview 4: Why Mojo Works 5: Building new Mojos

MOJO TOOLKIT | Creating Male Space 49

I have learned to relax, I have learned to bring myself honestly and I have learned that I am learning as much as those around me. My experience of working with this client group has enhanced my facilitation skills in that I have an understanding of when to share and how much to share, and how sharing appropriately enhances the learning of the whole group, in which I include myself. (Quote from Dawn O’Connor, Mojo Facilitator).

The partnership approach is what sets Mojo apart from many traditional responses to men in distress. The men regularly report in the feedback on sessions that ‘not feeling judged’ is refreshing and helps them to be more real and honest in the group.

Mojo in the community Referrals for Mojo come from a cross section of service providers, but most notably, they come from GPs and leading psychiatrists, who have traditionally been reluctant to refer to community led projects. From conversations with the medical professionals, we learned that this was made possible by the level of professionalism demonstrated by the AG and the reported results from programme participants. Mojo is now recognised as an evidenced based programme that ‘fills a gap’ in the provision of services for men who find themselves ‘in distress’.

Doctors are overwhelmed with men who are living alone; Mojo is recognised by GPs as a place for them to explore their issues in a safe environment (Dr. Siobhan Kierans, GP Tallaght).

As Mojo develops, men will have more opportunities to offer mutual support and to shape how we view what it means to be a man in an ever changing and often challenging society. I believe that Mojo needs to be a peer led programme that is supported by women. The programme should continue to create space for men to explore their identity. The exploration will allow for men to recreate a notion of maleness that is inclusive of diversity and is based on the collective experiences and knowledge of men so that we shape a male identity that supports a sense of wellbeing. For this to happen, we need to invest in men who have the passion to take the lead.

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Through Mojo I have journeyed with 88 men and I have heard many stories of why Mojo works, but the one that stands out for me and in many ways epitomises the possibilities of change once we are given the opportunity, is….. Danny a 62 year old (bundle of loveliness) came to Mojo 1, in what he described as a ‘bad state’. He walked in the first day with his eyes firmly fixed to the floor. On sight, he had the look of a scary man, covered in tattoos, 6’2” and built like a tank. Day one, he said very little apart from his name, but as the weeks went by, he grew in confidence. By week four it was obvious that he had perked up, he started to talk to the group about his experiences. As Danny opened up, so too did some of the other men. All of a sudden the men started to chat. Stories flowed, experiences were shared. By week eight the group were at ease. It was coming up to Christmas. Danny came into the group one Wednesday and shared a story that illuminates what Mojo is about, at least for me. He was walking through the Square in Tallaght, with his 23 year old daughter and they were chatting about ‘stuff’. Danny took the opportunity to tell his daughter that he had just done a session on Mojo about his role in the family and that he realised that he had not been the best of dads and that he wanted to apologise to her. His daughter thanked him. At that point they were passing Santa Claus, when Danny remembered and then mentioned that he had not taken her to see him (Santa Claus) when she was a child. His daughter asked him, ‘what’s stopping you taking me now?’ Working on Mojo has been a privilege, albeit I was a reluctant leader in the field of men’s mental health. I never saw myself working with men; I accidentally fell into the role, which has now become my passion. It has become my passion for many reasons, some of them personal, but mainly because I see the potential it has to be part of a solution to supporting ‘us’ to be well.

“Be the change that you want to see in the world” (Mohandas Gandhi)

2: Key principles and work practices 3: Overview 4: Why Mojo Works 5: Building new Mojos

Section 5 (Danny and his daughter â&#x20AC;Ś. in the Square, Tallaght, 2012).

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Section 5 Anticipating the future At this stage of Mojo’s development it is unclear what the future holds. Right now Mojo has been shown to be a successful model in SDC and work is underway to explore the possibility of using the learning gained here to build a new Mojo in Kildare. This makes for uncertain and somewhat uneasy times for Mojo, but in some sense this is its foundation: ‘we won’t know until we know we know it’! Although we do know that Mojo has the potential to become a force that supports men to take action in order to bring about positive social change. In SDC, Mojo has achieved a very high standard and recognition in relation to the provision of a brief intervention for men in distress. The success of Mojo is largely dependent on the fact that it is a professionally run, multidisciplinary, interagency programme that it is community led. In order to continue to build on our established reputation for a model of good practice, it is imperative that any new Mojo programme strives to achieve similar standards of excellence.

Without being too prescriptive, but with an eye firmly on the need to create the foundations of a process that will allow Mojo programmes to develop across Ireland, it is strongly advisable that two key components of a Mojo programme are in place - namely: the seven stages of development (as discussed in Section 3) and the core principles and work practices (discussed in Section 2). These components will help to ensure that the Mojo ethos is continued from programme to programme. To support quality assurance, while encouraging innovation and the development of unique Mojo’s, it is our hope that an interagency collaboration would have these core principles and stages of development in place. We invite you the reader to become an advocate of Mojo and to be part of national network of that creates male space for men in distress.

5: New Mojos

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If after reading the toolkit you are inquisitive about Mojo and would like more information on how to develop a Mojo in your region, you can contact Derek McDonnell at derek@bigpictureconsultancy.com or on 087 66 00 872

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CREATING M A L E SPACE