Graduates of Irelands First Crisis Pregnancy Counselling Certificate Level Course Conferred at NUI Maynooth

November 25th 2008 -The Crisis Pregnancy Agency today celebrated the graduates of the first certificate course in Crisis Pregnancy Counselling ever to be developed and delivered in Ireland. The year-long, certificate level course is delivered by the Department of Adult and Community Education, NUI Maynooth in partnership with the Agency who also fund it. The 30 graduates are based at crisis pregnancy counselling centres funded by the Agency throughout the country, and sought to up-skill in the area by successfully completing the skills-based course. The Agency has funded a second year of this pilot-training course with NUI Maynooth, which commenced in October.

Speaking today, Katharine Bulbulia, Chair of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency said: “I would like to congratulate the 30 graduates on their achievement in completing the first certificate course specifically designed to set standards of good practice in crisis pregnancy counselling. The development of this course underscores the Agency’s commitment to ensuring that a high standard of counselling is available to all women who experience a crisis pregnancy; providing free, non-judgemental support. We hope that this course will not only assist the graduates in their work but will also enhance the delivery of crisis pregnancy counselling across the services they work in.”

Mary B Ryan of the Department of Adult and Community Education at NUI Maynooth University, Co-Director of the course, talked of how the course provides a unique opportunity for people to explore and analyse the issue of crisis pregnancy in the context of post modern Irish society, commenting, “Crisis pregnancy is a hidden part of our history and our culture and it is only in recent times that this story is beginning to be told and owned by the entire community – it is not just the concern of the woman”. The course equips participants to put the needs of the client at the centre of the counselling relationship and to support her to make the best decision possible. The participants on the course were drawn from a wide variety of agencies and this richness and diversity led to a deeply engaging learning experience.

All 30 graduates of the course are based at centres throughout the country which are funded by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency. All of these services are promoted through the Positive Options campaign and women can access free crisis pregnancy counselling by visiting the positiveoptions.ie website or by freetexting the word ‘list’ to 50444.

Speaking today, Caroline Spillane, Director of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency said: “The level of commitment and skill which the graduates of this course have displayed further highlights the high-quality of State funded counselling which is available in the event of a crisis pregnancy. The Agency is aware that some rogue organisations provide services which can often involve a hidden agenda and attempt to manipulate the decision a woman may make. The Agency would strongly encourage women to use agencies that provide high quality counselling which includes those funded by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency and also GPs.”

Ends.

Photographs of the graduation to follow.

Editor’s Notes:

1. The Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) was established in 2001 and is mandated to provide for:
A) A reduction in the number of crisis pregnancies by the provision of education, advice and contraceptive services
B) A reduction in the number of women with crisis pregnancies who opt for abortion by offering services and support which make other options more attractive
C) The provision of counselling services, medical services and other health services for the purpose of providing support, after crisis pregnancy, as may be deemed appropriate by the Agency

For more information contact:

Lorna Farren
Crisis Pregnancy Agency
01-8146292
087-6289831