Mojo is affiliated with Mental Health Ireland and is strategically guided nationally by an Interagency Steering Committee made up of statutory, non statutory, and private sector representatives. The roll out of the national workplan is undertaken by a Programme Director who is supported by a Business Administrator.

The Mojo Projects are managed by their host organisations and are guided by local interagency advisory groups from mental health, education, housing, justice, community and employment.

The training programme engages distressed men (most of whom are unemployed) over two mornings per week for 12 weeks. It 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 build their mental and physical fitness while developing their ability to set goals and develop a life plan. Essentially, Mojo aims to support men to reach beyond their past experiences in order to create a more positive future for themselves and their families.

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

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

Mojo is a primarily a skills and relational building training programme that has a therapeutic value to participants, but it not a clinical programme; notwithstanding it is an evidence based intervention for ‘at risk’ men that is highly effective, professionally run and grounded in best practice.

The participants are introduced to the services and supports available to them locally and are encouraged to avail of these supports, when needed. However, the responsibility to access the supports is left to the participant except where he does not have the physical or mental capacity to do so i.e. if he is in a serious crisis or in immediate danger. Each Mojo Project has a suicide and self harm policy in place.

The programme has guiding principles, work practices, policies and procedures, which clearly set out:

• operating guidelines for the programme staff and facilitators .
• governance
• referral procedures to the programme and between participating organisations.
• best practice procedures for engaging participants.
• procedures to ensure confidentiality of information shared.
• mechanisms for making referrals.
• roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders.

The Start up and Accrediation Guidebook is being developed to ensure that the Mojo men’s welfare is of paramount importance and to help inform all our stakeholders of their roles in providing an evidenced based, high quality service to men in distress.

The training programme, its operating procedures and governance will be continuously reviewed and developed as our learning and knowledge grows.