Mental Health Reform has been given an update by HSE National Director of Mental Health Services Anne O’Connor on key aspects of A Vision for Change that we have been campaigning on.
On mental health services for people who are homeless
In Dublin, the Community Mental Health Teams for the homeless people are currently in place on the north and south side of Dublin City.and will be getting 5.5 new staff members, to include a half-time Consultant Psychiatrist, a community mental health nurse, an occupational therapist, a psychologist and a social worker for Dublin South Central and a psychologist for Dublin North City.
In Cork, the small team that currently supports the mental health needs of homeless people will be getting two extra staff members this year.
In our pre-budget submission, Mental Health Reform had called for allocation in Budget 2015 of funding for mental health services for homeless people.
On crisis services
A new lead for the mental health Clinical Programme Dr. Margo Wrigley has taken up her role. The HSE is also recruiting 35 staff for a clinical programme on self-harm and 23 senior nurses have taken up their posts under this programme. Implementation of the clinical programme is the responsibility of the management team in each area.
The Suicide Scan Assessment Nurse service is due to be rolled out in the following areas by the end of 2014:
Donegal, Sligo/Leitrim, Dublin North, Dublin South Central, Cork North Lee, Galway/Roscommon and Laoise/Offaly.
Recovery
The Advancing Recovery in Ireland project is being rolled out across all mental health services over the coming year. Using the ‘Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change’ model, the initiative is due to run until 2017.
