Press release
Minister Daly confirms Government approval for the publication of 'Sharing the Vision - a Revised Mental Health Policy for Everyone'
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Jim Daly, has today confirmed the Government decision to approve the publication of the National Mental Health policy, ‘Sharing the Vision – a Mental Health Policy for Everyone’ for the period 2020-2030.
The policy was taken to Cabinet by the Minister for Health Simon Harris TD.
Minister Daly said:
"I welcome the Cabinet's decision to publish this policy. It will provide a roadmap for our mental health services over the next ten years and will help us to deal with the increase in demands on our services in new and imaginative ways. I am confident that this policy will change lives for the better and I intend to publish it in the coming week."
ENDS
The national mental health policy, A Vision for Change, ended its ten-year term in 2016. An Expert Evidence Review, commissioned by the Department of Health, was carried out in 2016 to provide evidence to determine the policy direction for a refresh of A Vision for Change, both in terms of international best practice and the experience of implementing A Vision for Change to date.
An Oversight Group was established in October 2017 to review and update the policy and to present a draft report for consideration by the Department of Health. The Oversight Group was independently chaired by Mr Hugh Kane and included representatives from the Department of Health, HSE, Voluntary Sector and HSE Service Users. The department streamlined this report to produce ‘Sharing the Vision’, which sets out current and future service priorities and includes a time-bound implementation plan as well as an Implementation Monitoring Committee.
Recommendations were informed by a national public consultation process that engaged with over 1,200 participants at meetings across the country with service users, family members, carers, peer workers, clinical staff, HSE management and the NGO sector
In addition, the Oversight Group reviewed submissions made to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Healthcare in Ireland and took account of relevant Mental Health recommendations in other Government Policies such as ‘Better Outcomes Brighter Futures’, ‘Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery’; and the ‘LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy’.
Sharing the Vision is indeed a timely mental health policy for everyone. It comes at a time when COVID-19 has impacted so negatively on the nation’s mental health. It speaks about protecting health and wellbeing, getting appropriate care quickly and seeks that services provided be quality assured and safe.