Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 March 2013
311. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the actions his Department has taken to support vulnerable asylum seekers in direct provision following the National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention (2005-2014) identification of this section of the population as particularly at risk of mental health problems, self-harm and other suicidal behaviours. [15730/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraSuicide is a tragedy that we are constantly working to prevent and also working to give more support to the families affected. Dealing with the current high levels of suicide and deliberate self harm is a priority for this Government. Reach Out our National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention makes a number of recommendations in relation to fast track referrals to community-based mental health services, effective response to deliberate self harm, training, stigma reduction, etc. Since the launch of Reach Out and the establishment of the National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP), there has been a significant amount of cross-sectoral working which has resulted in considerable advances in suicide prevention.
Asylum seekers are not specifically identified within Reach Out: National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention however their specific mental needs are recognised by the health services. The NOSP through regional suicide prevention services offer Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and SafeTALK to a variety of community gatekeepers who are working with and supporting vulnerable groups including asylum seekers. The NOSP has additional training programmes focused on self harm which can be delivered to community members.
The primary care and mental health services are available to all members of Irish society. The aim of the HSE is to build the capacity and knowledge of staff working in frontline statutory and non-statutory services to meet the specific needs of all diverse groups in Irish society. All the frontline services from the voluntary sector funded by the NOSP including Samaritans, Pieta House, and Console should be available to asylum seekers and their families who may be in need of support or information. In addition the NOSP funds, My Mind which is a community-based not for profit organisation, voluntary service provider that specialises in providing psychological support services at a community level through counsellors and psychologists who speak 15 different languages. The NOSP has been able to access this service for asylum seekers looking for support or in suicidal crisis. The NOSP has also produced a number of information resources in several languages in order to support different communities to look after their mental health.
Finally, the Director of the NOSP welcomes a dialogue with the representatives from any group in Irish society that has evidence that members of their community may be at risk of suicide or self harm. The NOSP can advise and support such vulnerable groups using proven evidence approaches that have worked with other population groups in Ireland e.g. LGBT and Traveller communities.
