Philanthropists and Government will together ensure that over 400 people with disabilities and mental health difficulties can get out of - or avoid - institutional care and be supported to live in the community. This is the result of an innovative project involving the Genio Trust supported by Chuck Feeney’s Atlantic Philanthropies, the Office for Disability and Mental Health (Department of Health), and the HSE. The Genio Trust works with philanthropists and Government to drive social change and ensure efficient use of taxpayers’ money in the interests of those who are socially excluded.

The Genio Trust yesterday announced grants valued at almost €2 million for 22 projects designed to turn into reality the government’s policy on moving people out of institutions and into independent living, supported by community-based services. This follows grants valued at almost €3.8m awarded in 2010 to enable people with disabilities and mental health difficulties to live the lives of their choice in the community.    

The Trust supports the development of tailored practical plans for individuals who need support to allow them live in their community, then funds this support for a transitional period using money from philanthropists and the State. When the funding ends, the individual will be able to remain living independently with the help of existing community supports and reconfigured resources that have been moved away from institutional care.

Announcing the grants Finbarr Flood, Chairperson of the Genio Trust said, “Genio’s mission is to remove the barriers which prevent people from participating fully in society. These barriers can arise from the way in which services are traditionally provided to people with disability, educational disadvantage, poverty, age or other issues. 

Critically our funding goes to projects which work to change, for the better, how services are provided to people who need them. We are maximising cost-effectiveness and avoiding waste, while actually improving outcomes for people being supported.”

The Genio Trust has brought together funding from the Atlantic Philanthropies and the State, and is channelling it only at projects that can demonstrate they will work and are sustainable after an initial investment.  Changing the lives of individuals who are given the opportunity to live more independently is part of an overall strategy that will hopefully change the entire model of providing support to marginalised people.

Speaking at the event, Minister for Equality, Disability, Mental Health and Older People, Kathleen Lynch, TD, said, “We are facing many challenges in the current economic climate and it’s reassuring to see the innovative and creative work being undertaken to support more people with disabilities and mental health difficulties to live full lives in the community.  Many of the projects supported through The Genio Trust are demonstrating ways in which we can re-configure resources, currently tied up in older models of institutional care, to community-based supports, in line with Government policy on mental health.”

Dr Frank Dolphin, Chairperson of the HSE, said “Many of the projects supported through the Genio Trust in collaboration with the Office for Disability and Mental Health, the Department of Health, The HSE and Atlantic Philanthropies, are demonstrating ways in which we can shift resources currently spent on older models of institutional care to community-based services instead.  The momentum created by such projects is driving progress towards our government policy of moving individuals out of institutional care so that they can live full lives in the community.

“This collaboration between philanthropists, the State and social policy innovators aims not just to improve the lives of individuals but to bring lasting change in our service model,” he concluded.

Over 350 delegates from diverse backgrounds including individuals who are using services and their families, representatives of health service providers, advocates, NGOs, policy advisors, philanthropists and business, attended today’s event at the Convention Centre Dublin.

Finbarr Flood, Chairperson of the Genio Trust said, “So far we have worked to make the lives of people with disabilities and mental health difficulties more independent.  Our next step must be to extend that to older people and indeed to others who need support but need to avoid the types of care that can isolate them from their communities.  We want to make sustainable, permanent change to our social services.  This is about changing our society for the better and we would urge the business community in particular to see the benefit of supporting us.”

Genio works with the public, private and non-profit sectors to stimulate and support real, positive and lasting social change in Ireland.  It brings government and philanthropic investment together to improve the everyday lives of people who need support to participate as equals in society.  Genio is currently working with the disability and mental health fields and has just started a project to improve services for older people with dementia.

List of projects supported by the Genio Trust 2011