[Image Description: Graphic with a light pink background, text in the middleground reading “2018 Round Up” in darker pink font, and white snowflakes in the background.]
We’re delighted to share with you a roundup of some of our work in 2018. Our thanks as always for you generous support and encouragement throughout the year!
So much has happened in 2018 – so we have included below a short summary video and full outline of all that happened below.
Achievements:
- €55M increase for mental health in Budget 2019
- Roll out of 7 hours a day, 7 days a week mental health services for adults
- Establishment of the Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care
- The Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2017 passage
- Mental Health Reform recommendations included in the HSE National Service Plan 2019
Campaigns:
- The 24/7 Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services campaign #InOurHourOfNeed
- The Budget 2019 campaign #IAmAReason
- The Mental Health Act (2001) campaign
Publications:
- “Public Attitudes to Investment in Mental Health Services” report launch
- Mental Health Reform’s Annual Report 2017 and Strategic Plan 2018 – 2020 launch
- “eMental Health: State-of-the-art & opportunities for Ireland” report launch
- “Steps into Work: Integrating Employment and Mental Health Supports Project” report launch
Developments:
- The Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2017 passage
- Mental Health (Renewal Orders) Bill 2018 signed into law
- The Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care’s Final Report
- The Mental Health (Capacity to Consent to Treatment) Bill 2018 proposal
- Our coalition grew to 72 Member Organisations
- The Stories Project 2018
- The My Voice Matters research
- Government commitment to out-of-hours crisis mental health services for adults
- “eMental Health: The next big thing in psychological practice?” seminar
- World Mental Health Day 2018
Accessibility
This year, we made our communications more accessible through adding in Image Descriptions to our newsletters. Image descriptions offer a text-alternative to the image which is displayed. Ensuring our communications are as accessible as possible is very important to us.
CAMPAIGNS
#InOurHourOfNeed
Our campaign for 24/7 Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) reached over 450,000 people with over 2,525,000 impressions online. Your support of this campaign has made a real difference.
We will continue to advocate and campaign on this issue so children and young people in Ireland can access the mental healthcare they need, in their hour of need.
Click here to read more about this campaign.
#IAmAReason
Our Pre-Budget 2019 campaign called on the Government to end the decades of neglect of mental health in the Budget. Our ask was for €105M to be invested in mental healthcare – with €50M of that for the existing services and €55M of that for new developments.
In October, the Minister for Mental Health & Older People announced the investment of an additional €55M for new developments in mental healthcare.
We will continue to monitor this to ensure the full amount is invested in mental healthcare.
Click here to read more about this campaign.
PUBLICATIONS
“Public Attitudes to Investment in Mental Health Services” Report
[Image Description: Photo of Kevin Cullen (WRC), Shari McDaid (Mental Health Reform), and Kieran O’ Leary (Ipsos) outside of Dáil Éireann, holding copies of the “Public Attitudes to Investment in Mental Health” report.]
“Public Attitudes to Investment in Mental Health Services” found strong public support for increased Government investment in Ireland’s mental health services.
The report also found that 84% of respondents thought that the health service places too little focus on mental health currently, the highest proportion of six health problems measured.
Click here to read more about this report.
Strategic Plan 2018 – 2020 launch
[Image Description: Photo of attendees at the launch of the Strategic Report 2018 – 2020.]
The Strategic Plan 2018 – 2020 will guide the work of Mental Health Reform to create an Ireland where people can access the support they need in their community to achieve their best possible mental health. Our membership and Grassroots Forum helped to develop our strategic plan and identified key areas to focus on.
Click here to read more about this report.
“eMental Health: State-of-the-art & opportunities for Ireland” Report
[Image Description: Photograph of four people, holding copies of the “eMental Health: State-of-the-art & opportunities for Ireland” report.]
“eMental Health: State-of-the-art & opportunities for Ireland”, by Kevin Cullen of the Work Research Centre, provides an overview of eMental Health applications that may be helpful for the large numbers of people with common mental health conditions such as mild-to-moderate anxiety and depression, as well as applications relevant for people with more severe and enduring conditions.
eMental Health also can help overcome some of the very significant challenges mental health services currently face in Ireland including the large treatment gap.
Click here to read more about this report.
“Steps into Work: Integrating Employment and Mental Health Supports Project” Report
[Image Description: Photo of Regina Doherty (Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection); Shari McDaid (Mental Health Reform); and Prof. Agnes Higgins (Mental Health Reform). All holding copies of the “Steps into Work” report.]
“Steps into Work” is a report which outlined the results of our Integrating Employment and Mental Health Supports (IEMHS) project. The IEMHS project piloted a model of evidence based support employment, know as Individual Placement and Support (IPS). IPS integrates local employment services with local mental health teams in order to secure employment for people with mental health difficulties. The project was successful in supporting 33 individuals into employment.
Click here to read more about this report.
DEVELOPMENTS
Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2017
[Image Description: Shari McDaid (Mental Health Reform) with James Brown (TD) holding a copy of the “Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2017 at the Houses of the Oireachtas.]
The Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2017 was passed this year which will amend the Mental Health Act, 2001 definition of a ‘voluntary patient’ and the principles in the 2001 Act.
This new law represents a significant step towards better protection of individuals’ rights when they are in hospital for mental health treatment. The provisions, when brought into force, will clarify that a ‘voluntary patient’ is someone who has the capacity to make their own decisions and who consents to admission. It will also replace the out-dated principle of ‘best interests’ with more modern principles that reflect international human rights law. The new principles will empower people to make their own decisions about mental health treatment.
Click here to read more about this Bill.
Mental Health (Renewal Orders) Bill becomes law
[Image Description: Screenshot of a Tweet from the President of Ireland, on a white background with black font. Text reads “President of Ireland, Oct 3, Having considered the Mental Health (Renewal Orders) Bill 2018, the President has signed the Bill and it has accordingly become law.”. There is a small image of the Áras an Uachtaráin in the centre ground.]
Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care report
[Image Description: Photo of report by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care. Text on repor reads “An Comhchoiste um Chúram Meabhairshláinte sa Todhchaí, An Tuarascáil Deiridh, Deireadh Fómhair 2018; Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care, Final Report, October 2018”]
The Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care launched their Final Report. The report included 22 recommendations to Government to address issues within our mental healthcare system. Mental Health Reform were delighted to be able to present to the Committee and to see so much of our contribution included in the report.
Click here to read more about this report.
Mental Health (Capacity to Consent to Treatment) Bill 2018
[Image Description: A black harp design in the background with text in the centre ground reading “An Bill Meabhair-Shláinte (Cumas Toiliú le Cóireáil), 2018” and “Mental Health (Capacity to Consent to Treatment) Bill 2018”. “Mar a tionscnaiodh” and “As initiated” written below.]
The Mental Health (Capacity to Consent to Treatment) Bill 2018 proposes a change to the current Mental Health legislation. This change is so that young people aged 16 and 17 years old will be given the capacity to consent and refuse mental healthcare treatment and decisions. At present, 16 and 17 year old are not legally entitled to consent or refuse treatment for mental healthcare. They can, however, consent or refuse physical and dental healthcare treatment. This Bill seeks to gives greater rights to people in their mental healthcare and treatment.
This year, our Membership coalition grew to 72 organisations. In 2018, we welcomed AHEAD, Akidwa, Alcohol Action Ireland, Cork Counselling Services, HADD-ADHD Ireland, Irish Online & Counselling and Psychotherapy Services, Smashing Times Theatre, and Turn2Me.
Stories Project 2018
[Image Description: Photo of five participants in the Stories Project with a Mental Health Reform banner in the background.]
The Stories Project ran for the second time in 2018. This year, there were 30 participants who gained skills in using their voice to advocate for bettering the mental health services and supports in Ireland. The one-day workshop brought participants through a range of exercises to learn about their story, how to use and enhance their voice, and different kinds of public speaking. This project was funded through the ESB’s Energy for Generations Fund.
“My Voice Matters” national survey
My Voice Matters is the national survey on mental health services in Ireland. With thousands of people sharing their voice about services and we have been completing the research since then. The findings of this report will be launched next year.
Government commitment to roll out of 7/7 mental health services for adults
The Government has committed to rolling out 7 day a week community mental health services for adults. This means that for many people, their local community mental health team will now be available over the weekend, rather than just Monday-Friday. This is very welcome progress and we look forward to monitoring the full delivery of this commitment. We are also calling for 7 day a week services for children and young people across Ireland.
“eMental Health: The next big thing in psychological practice?” seminar
[Image Description: Photo of Shari McDaid (Mental Health Reform), Jim Daly TD (Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People), and Terri Morrissey (Psychological Society of Ireland) holding a copy of the conference brochure.]
The seminar focused on the implications of technology-supported therapy for psychological practice…is this ‘the Next Big Thing’ for psychology in Ireland?
The seminar was addressed by the Minister of State for Mental Helath and older People, Jim Daly T.D.
Click here to read more about this seminar.
World Mental Health Day 2018
[Image Description: Photo of a group of people with their hands in the air. Text is superimposed in the centre ground reading “World Mental Health Day 2018” and a Mental Health Reform logo in the bottom right-hand corner.]
Mental Health Reform recommendations included in the HSE National Service Plan 2019
[Image Description: Graphic on a white background with linear designs in shades of blue, green and yellow. Off centred text reads “National Service Plan 2019”.]
We welcomed the aspirations set out in the HSE’s National Service Plan for 2019. Many of the objectives reflect Mental Health Reform’s pre-budget recommendations.
Commenting on the plan, Shari McDaid, Director, said, “We particularly welcome the HSE’s commitment to look at providing out-of-hours child and adolescent mental health services. We would expect that by the end of 2019 the HSE will have a costed implementation plan and timeframe for 7-day CAMHS. We also welcome the commitment to expand access to talking therapies for people using mental health services, the implementation of the CAMHS advocacy model, and implementation of the Youth Mental Health Taskforce recommendations on services for 18-25 year olds.”
Click here to read more about this article.
Mental Health Reform staff & Board members
We welcomed Lar Malone (Board member), Danea Brown (staff), Pádraig Ó Féich (staff) and Ross Flanagan (staff) to the team. As ever, our work will continue towards an Ireland where people can access the support they need in their community to achieve their best possible mental health.
To all our supporters, members, donors and volunteers… THANK YOU!
[Image Description: Graphic with a map of Ireland in pink and orange colours, with text in the foreground reading “In 2019, we will continue to work towards an Ireland where people can access the support they need in their community to achieve their best possible mental health.” in pink font.]
