Counselling is provided across the health service, by both the HSE and the voluntary sector including primary care, social care and within mental health. This type of service can be provided by a range of trained health professionals and delivered to meet a clinical need at either primary or secondary care level.
The Counselling in Primary Care (CIPC) service is a national service funded from the Programme for Government investment in Mental Health, to increase the access to counselling and psychotherapy and supplementing existing services provided by Primary Care. Since 2012, €7.5 million has been provided to develop the CIPC service. The service provides short term counselling for adults with non-complex psychological problems aged 18 years and over and who hold a valid medical card. Every effort is made to see people as quickly as possible, however there are a number of people waiting extended periods many of whom will have specific requirements, for example can only attend on a specific day or time or may wish to be seen in a particular area. In some areas, there is a particular difficulty accessing accommodation in which to see clients, which in turn impacts on waiting times. This is an issue in some of the smaller rural areas and one that the HSE is working to resolve.
Within the specialist secondary care mental health service counselling and psychotherapy is provided within community mental health teams when service users are clinically assessed as requiring this intervention and is provided by a health professional on the team. Counselling is also provided by a range of voluntary organisations across the health service and HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention funds voluntary organisations such as Pieta House and Console to provide support across a range of needs.
The provision of a quality counselling service across both primary and secondary care will be developed further, as resources permit. In the first instance however, the HSE Mental Health Division must ensure that the funding currently allocated to CIPC is being used to best effect, to deliver the best outcomes. In this regard, I note the commitment in the HSE National Service Plan for 2015 to “Reviewing and improving access to psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic interventions in conjunction with the Primary Care Division” as a first step to further consolidate and direct counselling services generally.
