SUMIT Demonstrator Site Workshops Commence

DHI design team host first in a series of workshops to inform PEACEPLUS funded SUMIT digital products. 

In January DHI visited The Red Door in Drogheda and TURAS in Dundalk to continue the SUMIT participatory design process, delivering workshops with staff and service users.

This is the first time the SUMIT Demonstrator Sites have had the chance to contribute directly to the project in their teams, with peers and in-person.  One of DHI’s roles in SUMIT is to ensure people are at the centre of the innovation process and that lived and living experience drives change. DHI researchers are applying design innovation methods to co-design and develop three new digital interventions with four local demonstrator sites. The digital products are aimed to improve access, inclusion, and long-term outcomes for individuals with substance use and mental health challenges. The output of the workshops will inform the procurement process due to start next month. 

For the team and the partners, it was important that a safe, trauma-informed space was established to ensure that everyone felt comfortable sharing their stories. The workshops involved: 

• Using Personas to map out a typical journey that a service user goes through when accessing a service to the point of entry to exiting  

• Looking at how this process feels for different service users/ staff and where/ how data is captured  

• Identifying what is working well and ‘pain points’ within the process 

• Exploring how different types of digital tools could alleviate the challenges identified and how they could fit into their services  

• Talking with service users about their experiences and what digital tools could help them 

The workshops produced some interesting discussions and insights. Comments from the participants showed that they valued how the workshop supported them making decisions as a team. 

The team are looking forward to the participation of the remaining demonstrator sites and subsequently sharing our findings. 

The SUMIT (Substance Use and Mental Health Interventions using Digital Technology) project is a cross-border initiative funded by the PEACEPLUS programme and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Led by Queen’s University Belfast Communities and Place (QCAP), in partnership with Trinity College Dublin, DHI, the University of St Andrews, and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), SUMIT aims to improve access to care for people with substance use and mental health challenges. 

Authors: Anna Sturzaker and Marissa Cummings