Press release
Minister Butler convenes the Sharing the Vision: Our National Mental Health Policy Conference 2024 today in Dublin Castle
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
National Mental Health Conference: Sharing the Vision – ‘No health without mental health’ to hear how Government is driving forward a modern, patient-centred, mental health service in Ireland.
Today, 16 January 2024 will see the Sharing the Vision National Mental Health Conference draw together 200 experts in the field of mental health policy, service delivery, research, and advocacy to discuss developments in national mental health policy and delivery. The Conference has been convened and opened by Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler with contributions from Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
Sharing the Vision – a Mental Health Policy for Everyone places mental health policy centrally in the development of Irish healthcare. The policy is outcome focused and adopts a lifecycle approach that places the individual at the heart of service delivery. It is closely aligned with Sláintecare and shares the Sláintecare vision: the right care in the right place at the right time. Its aim is to deliver significant reform in mental health, focusing on mental health promotion, prevention, recovery, early intervention, and the provision of specialist mental health services over the period 2020-2030.
The conference will hear from two keynote speakers, with Dr. Ledia Lazeri, the Regional Adviser for Mental Health at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe addressing the morning session with a focus on placing Ireland’s mental health policy in an international context, and David McDaid of the London School of Economics (LSE) on the economic case for investment in mental health services and mental wellbeing initiatives.
Opening the Conference, Minister Butler said:
“Since I took office as Minister for Mental Health and Older People in 2020, I have overseen significant additional investment in mental health to promote positive mental health, early intervention, and recovery, as well as improving service delivery. We can see the results in more teams in place around the country. Today I take the opportunity to highlight the key theme of the Conference, that there is no health without mental health, and I believe it is vital that we get this message across and recognise mental health as something which cuts across all aspects of life in society.”
Tuesday’s Conference, organised by the Department of Health with the support of the Health Service Executive (HSE), marks the end of the first phase of implementation of the national policy, and provides an opportunity to reflect on the successes and challenges over the last three years.
The Conference brings together a wide range of stakeholders working across multiple sectors of policy implementation, service development, advocacy and service delivery, to come together and share their experiences regarding implementation and service delivery, and to discuss challenges and opportunities in the service delivery landscape.
The Conference is also an opportunity to mark the end of the first term of the oversight National Implementation and Monitoring Committee (NIMC) for Sharing the Vision and to welcome the establishment of its second term. This includes a renewed membership and the appointment of the new Chair of the Steering Committee, Ms Catherine Brogan who will also speak at the event. The National Implementation and Monitoring Committee is collectively responsible for driving and overseeing the long-term implementation of the national policy.
Speaking at the event, Minister Butler said:
“Mental Health remains a top priority for me, my department, and this government. It is our ambition in Government that Ireland becomes a world leader in every aspect of mental health service provision, responsive to the needs of any and all people experiencing mental health difficulties at any time of life, and of any kind of severity. Sharing the Vision embodies that ambition: it is a multifaceted and wide-ranging policy which aims to deliver tangible improvements across all mental health services, including the lived experience of service users.”
Minister Butler outlined the investment made by Government in mental health services during the lifetime of this government:
“Since 2020 I have overseen the delivery of record funding for mental health in successive budgets by Government, resulting in an investment of €1.3 billion in Budget 2024. This is the fourth year in a row in which the mental health budget has been increased. Investment in the National Clinical Programmes has remained a key priority for me and this government, which has allowed for investment in specific areas of service need, including Self-Harm and Suicide Related Ideation, Eating Disorders, Early Intervention in Psychosis, ADHD in Adults, mental health and intellectual disability, and dual diagnosis. Across these programmes 120 staff have been recruited across the country since 2020, and there are now 7 ADHD adult teams in operation, and 5 Early Intervention in Psychosis teams. We have 10 Eating Disorder teams in place or under recruitment for adults and children. Furthermore, the National Clinical Programme on Self-Harm and Suicide Related Ideation is now in place across all of our Emergency Departments, and the programme is now being enhanced in our communities through the recruitment of Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurses, or SCAN Nurses, including 6 recruited last year.
"My first piece of legislation in relation to mental health as Minister related to the opening of the new state of the art new National Forensic Mental Health Service in Portrane. This opened in November 2022 with a smooth transition of patients from the former Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum. It is a purpose-built facility, delivering on a Programme for Government commitment and is a key objective of Sharing the Vision providing a range of forensic mental health services to its patients.
"Importantly, this year will also see the finalisation of the Mental Health Bill, another key recommendation of Sharing the Vision, and another avenue for driving forward a modern, patient-centred, mental health service in Ireland."
Expansion of the mental health National Clinical Programmes and Models of Care including:
In line with the Model of Care for ADHD in adults, there are ongoing recruitment efforts to staff the recommended multi-disciplinary teams. As of September 2023, there are 5 teams operational (including two half teams)
Launch of an Adult ADHD app
Development of the Understanding and Managing Adult ADHD Programme (UMAAP)
Building on the Model of Care for Early Intervention in Psychosis, five teams have now been stood up
An EIP key worker grade has been established and approval granted by the Department of Health. The EIP key worker role will enhance the multidisciplinary teams delivering EIP services
Following the Model of Care for Eating Disorders, 10 multi-disciplinary teams are now operational (5 Adult and 5 CAMHS)
Up-date completed of the National Clinical Programme
Recruitment of 23 Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) posts since 2022
Audit of Emergency Department spaces is completed
Building on the Model of Care for Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services, 6 multidisciplinary teams are now in place across the hub sites and perinatal mental health midwife posts funded in all 13 spoke sites
Development of a postnatal multidisciplinary clinic to support women following a traumatic birth experience at the Lavender Clinic, University Maternity Hospital Limerick won a HSE Service Excellence Awards 2023 in the Improving Patient Experience category. This is a good example of a service with direct service user input in design that is integrated with other services
Publication of ‘Embedding Women’s Mental Health in Sharing the Vision’ and the development of a position paper for how the Women’s Mental Health Charter will be embedded in Sharing the Vision implementation
Development of new public mental health content on www.yourmentalhealth.ie
Launch of the ‘Making the Connections’ public information campaign, which focuses on mental health literacy and signposts people to new content on anxiety, low mood, stress and sleep issues
Publication of the new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 and of the associated implementation plan. Returns from local authorities indicates that in 2022, 2,472 disabled household were allocated social housing and of these 695 (28%) were households who had indicated that their housing need was related to mental health
A Standard Operating Procedure for the IPS model of supported employment is at an advanced draft stage
To help people aged 18-22 years who are in receipt of Disability Benefits to enter or return to employment, Intreo (Public Employment Service) case officers have sent Easy-to-Read letters inviting them to avail of Intreo services
The Department of Health continues to progress the drafting of the Mental Health Bill to amend the Mental Health Act 2001. The Bill will extensively amend and update existing mental health legislation, moving to a more person-centred, human rights-based approach and takes account of domestic legislative changes, including the Assisted Decision-Making Act 2015 and the Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2018 as well as Ireland’s international obligations, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
Finalisation of the report of the High Level Taskforce on mental health, primary care and addiction challenges of persons interacting with the criminal justice system, which is a Programme for Government commitment. The Taskforce was established in 2021 to meet the government’s commitment to ensure the critical mental health needs of people in prison are met, addiction treatments are provided and appropriate primary care supports are available on release, in order to ensure improved outcomes for the individuals concerned and for society as a whole. The inter-Departmental Steering Group of the HLTF has been meeting regularly since Q4 2022
Enhanced access to talk therapies within community and primary care settings, including by targeted initiatives to address capacity challenges in Counselling in Primary Care and Primary Care Psychology Services