With the British Medical Affiliation just lately reporting that psychological well being providers are usually not being supplied rapidly sufficient to reply to the extent of demand, the Reverend Canon Kerry Dixon, Mission Improvement Officer in Scotland for the Church Military, has remodeled his conventional Episcopal Church in Dundee into an emergency ropes for these affected by dangerous psychological points to assist them keep away from or overcome the ensuing habit.
Primarily based in Dundee, a metropolis which faces Europe's highest fee of social housing and drug-related deaths per capita, Kerry has labored tirelessly to develop the Pirate Monks and Pirate Nuns help teams, which give care and recommendation to folks with psychological sickness the place public providers are overburdened providers. in an effort to intervene earlier than their psychological well being deteriorates into habit and/or homelessness.
The cycle of psychological well being and melancholy shouldn’t be new to Kerry; with 35 years of expertise, he has seen first-hand how poor psychological well being can result in habit, with service customers usually turning to alcohol, medication or different dangerous behaviors to self-medicate emotions of disappointment and perceived failure.
This drawback is commonly exacerbated by a vicious cycle that performs out over and over in Dundee, as in lots of different components of the UK, the place public providers don’t intervene till an individual is sober however really feel they will. issues. Nevertheless, with Kerry's steerage, the outcomes of the 2 help teams have been distinctive, with many utilizing tailor-made care and steerage to show away from their addictions in the direction of functioning lives.
What’s outstanding about Pirate Monks and Pirate Nuns is that Kerry has created an area that’s accessible to all, no matter spiritual background. Whereas Christianity is the primary driving power behind the teams, what’s inbuilt Dundee is a give attention to hospitality and constructing actual connections between individuals to assist them overcome psychological well being points.
Kerry commented: “The help that the Pirate Monks and Pirate Nuns present is each emotional and sensible. My goal is to construct an surroundings the place individuals can really feel protected and safe, but additionally heard and understood. While the group is based on Christianity, we help all faiths and we help one another in constructing lasting friendships and connections.
“I principally present the fundamentals like garments and entry to meals banks, however I additionally assist them by supporting them within the technique of getting everlasting housing by means of the council. And after they transfer into lodging, I assist with DIY – just lately I laid carpets and fitted a bathe for one in every of our group.
“Constructing the belief of the individuals who depend on these two teams is significant, and to construct that belief I not solely took them away on a weekend retreat but additionally engaged in symbolic gestures such because the Maundy Thursday foot washing ceremony .”
You’ll find out extra about Pirate Monks on the Church Military web site at this hyperlink.
