AUTHOR: AOIFE WHITFORD ONE YOUNG WORLD AMBASSADOR28TH OF JULY 2015

We Must Fill Gaps In Mental Health Services

Real Life ScenarioWhat triggered my involvement?

15 year old Cork young person suffering from increased levels of anxiety

Unable to leave house and go to school-life on hold and cound not cope with daily stresses of life

Contacted GP who referred young person on to CAMHs Parents no access to support services throughout this experience Parents had to pay for the young person to see a private counsellor Made contact with me to help navigate our community support

services Young person accessed MyMind and Pieta House GP made follow up referrals and phone calls to CAMHs Unable to access CAMHs for up to 20 days Young person eventually presented themselves at A&E with GP letter-

accessed CAMHs as a result

Literature ReviewGovernment strategies and additional documents on mental health

Mental Health Reform, A Vision for Change Nine Years On: A Coalition Analysis of Progress (2015)

Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Better Outcomes Brighter Futures (2014-2020)

National Suicide Prevention Strategy, Connecting for Life (2015-2020)

Healthy Ireland, A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing (2013-2025)

Headstrong, My World Survey (2001)

World Health Organisation, Mental Health Atlas (2014)

World Health Organisation, Mental Health Action Plan (2013-2020)

Short-Term Solutions Roadmap of Mental Health Services

1. Consider designing a visual roadmap of access to mental health services for both parents and young people around Ireland. The Mental Health Reform Group have made a start on this and yourmentalhealth.ie. This should be designed with youth involvement

2. Consider ensuring that the roadmap is available across all state and community mental health service websites. Promote easy access to the roadmap through Google search:

Insert roadmap here

Insert roadmap here

Insert roadmap here

Insert roadmap here

Short-Term Solutions Roadmap of Mental Health Services

3. Consider printing a promotional flyers for the roadmap to be sent to all GPs, colleges, schools, youthreach, youth and life centres and perhaps a credit card sized ad to be displayed across the community and state mental health/wellbeing websites

4. Consider promoting this roadmap across social media platforms, which would ensure young people see it and know the state and community support route if they need it.

Medium-Term SolutionsGP Training5. Consider contracting a youth information service (e.g. Spunout, Headstrong or Reachout.com) to design and provide youth focused mental health service information and training for GPs nationally. This will strengthen the family doctor in their therapeutic role. This training can be provided at their bi annual meetings as well as a regional roadshow. This is a government commitment under G11 in their Better Outcomes Brighter Futures strategy document.

“some GPs admit they’ve never dealt with certain problems before and they don’t know what to do.”

(Source: Mental Health Reform, A Vision for Change Nine Years On: A Coalition Analysis of Progress (2015))

Medium-Term SolutionsCAMHs-Recruitment, Look and Feel

6. Consider speeding up the recruitment process to ensure there are enough staff working in CAMHs services nationally.

“Of an extra 251 mental health posts pledged last year, just 52 have been hired, while a further 70 are at various stages of the process.”

(Source: Irish Times, “New suicide prevention strategy to focus on schools”, 25th of June 2015)

7. Consider improving the look and feel of CAMHs service-ensure it is operating out of comfortable, supportive and youth friendly environment. This could be achieved in consultation with Pieta House. (Another real life scenario to discuss here.)

Long-Term SolutionsJigsaw Project in Cork

8. Consider querying why Headstrong have yet to establish a Jigsaw project in Cork? (closest one is in Tralee, Co. Kerry). Funding might be needed/could be an issue. This is a government commitment under G49 in their Better Outcomes Brighter Futures strategy document.

9. Consider the rollout of the SCAN (Suicide Crisis Prevention Nurse) model nationwide for those middle risk young people (suffering from severe anxiety etc.). This would provide a timely, responsive link service in a number of mental health areas, not just in self-harm/suicide. With a bit of creative thinking such an approach could be provided as a ‘gatekeeper’ service for CAMHS. This sort of service need not be costly but could provide ready access/support (i.e. via dedicated mobile phone).

We Must Fill Gaps In Mental Health ServicesWhen:

One in 4 people in Ireland will suffer from mental health problems at some stage in their life and 75% of the first onset of poor mental health occurs under the age of 25.

(Source: Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Better Outcomes Brighter Futures (2014-2020))

Why?

Real expenditure on mental health services has yet to increase to the level envisaged by the Expert Group, and at the end of 2014 represented just 6% of overall HSE spend, less than it had in 2006.

(Source: Mental Health Reform, A Vision for Change Nine Years On: A Coalition Analysis of Progress (2015))

Where are the dedicated financial and human resources for mental health services in Ireland?

“In September 2014, there were over 18,866 active cases of young people (0-18 years) attending HSE Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). In 33% of cases, the reason for referral to CAMHS included suicidal ideation or self-harm.” Were 67% of young people referred suffering from anxiety etc.?

(Source: National Suicide Prevention Strategy, Connecting for Life (2015-2020))

“Having early diagnosis and access to support services in a timely manner is of critical importance. Services need to be integrated around the needs of the child or young person, and transitions between child and adult services need strengthening.”

(Source: Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Better Outcomes Brighter Futures (2014-2020))

We Must Fill Gaps In Mental Health Services