Thomas Gould
Question:704. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the CAMHS staffing levels compared to the Vision For Change requirement in each of the teams in CHO4. [19196/24]
View answerTuesday, 30 April 2024
Questions (704)
Written answers
HSE Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide assessment and treatment for young people who are experiencing mental health difficulties. While a broad range of services support the mental health of children and adolescents, the term CAMHS refers to specialist mental health services for young people up to 18 years of age who have reached the threshold for a diagnosis of moderate to severe mental health disorders.
The development of CAMHS in Ireland is directed by the current national mental health policy 'Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone’ (2020-2030). Where the predecessor to Sharing the Vision, A Vision for Change, was prescriptive on the composition of multi-disciplinary teams and staffing levels required to serve a given population, Sharing the Vision recognises that in line with changes in best practice and to enable future flexibility in terms of service delivery, additional competencies are recommended for multi-disciplinary teams, to complement core skills and competencies. In addition to core skills like psychiatry, social work, clinical psychology and occupational therapy, additional competencies like dietetics, peer support, outreach and job coaching, for example, may be appropriate and required. Rather than be specific on staffing numbers and team composition, a flexible approach can be more responsive to local needs and social circumstances, which in turn empowers local responses and helps achieve recovery oriented outcomes.
The HSE envisage an expansion of mental health service provision overall under Sharing the Vision. This involves analysis of skill mix requirements which in turn, requires comprehensive workforce planning. To achieve this, the HSE in conjunction with the Department of Health is developing a Health and Social Care Workforce Planning Strategy and Workforce Planning Projection Model, based on international best practice. In addition, reforms under Sláintecare are centered on having sufficient capacity in the workforce and the appropriate configuration of staff and skill-mix, which are integral to improve service delivery, including that for Mental Health.
There are currently 820 staff working across 76 CAMHS teams nationally with additional staff being recruited in 2024.
I have referred the Deputy's question to the HSE for direct reply in respect of the current CAMHS staffing provision in CHO4.