Written Answers Nos. 278-289
278. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of psychotherapists currently employed in the health service; the number of positions which are unoccupied or being recruited; the cost to the Exchequer for this in 2015; and the estimated cost in 2016. [12084/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up on the matter with him.
279. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of clinical psychologists currently employed in the health service; the number of positions which are unoccupied or being recruited; the cost to the Exchequer for this in 2015; and the estimated cost in 2016. [12085/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up on the matter with him.
280. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of occupational therapists currently employed in the health service; the number of positions which are unoccupied or being recruited; the cost to the Exchequer for this in 2015; and the estimated cost in 2016. [12086/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up on the matter with him.
281. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of psychiatrists currently employed in the health service; the number of positions which are unoccupied or being recruited; the cost to the Exchequer for this in 2015; and the estimated cost in 2016. [12087/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up on the matter with them.
282. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of complementary therapeutic practitioners currently employed in the mental health service; the number of positions which are unoccupied or being recruited; the cost to the Exchequer for this in 2015; and the estimated cost in 2016. [12088/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If he has not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with him.
283. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health his plans to publish an action plan for the reform of mental health supports ensuring adequate funding, good governance and oversight in line with A Vision for Change. [12089/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraA Vision for Change recommended that a National Mental Health Service Directorate should be established, including senior professional managers, senior clinicians and a service user. It further recommended that this Directorate should act as an advisory group and be closely linked with the management of the Primary and Continuing Community Care Division of the Health Service Executive. In 2013, a new HSE Mental Health Directorate was established, with full financial and operational responsibility for the delivery of 'A Vision for Change'.
The HSE Mental Health Division budget is published in the HSE National Service Plan for each year, followed by a more detailed Operational Plan for mental health services early in the year. These plans set out clearly the path the services are to take for the year in question.
Priority initiatives in 2016 include:
- The continued development of counselling services in Primary Care, including early intervention services at primary care level and the provision of three new Jigsaw youth mental health services in Cork and Dublin city centres, and in Limerick;
- The continued development of Community Mental Health Teams and improved 24/7 response and liaison services;
- Psychiatry of Later Life;
- Perinatal Mental Health; and
- Two new mental health clinical programmes, specifically, ADHD in Adults and Children, and Dual Diagnosis of those with Mental Illness and Substance Misuse.
'A Vision for Change' comes to the end of its 10-year term this year and plans for its review are under way. My Department will shortly commission an international expert and evidence-based review of mental health services to inform the review.
284. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health his plans to extend access to counselling in primary care service to persons on lower incomes. [12090/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If he has not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with him.
285. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure all children and adolescents receive adequate mental health promotion, supports and early intervention in order to minimise the need for inpatient care. [12091/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE Mental Health Division (MHD) supports timely access to appropriate services to address the mental health needs of all children, from a preventative care model and early intervention perspective. It should be noted, however, that the response to mental health issues is not the sole remit of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and may for example, be more appropriately addressed in other care areas, such as Primary Care, Disability Services, or linkages to other sectors such as Education.
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.
While a broad range of services support the mental health of children and adolescents, the term ‘CAMHS’ is usually applied very specifically to services that provide specialist mental health treatment and care to young people up to 18 years of age, through a multidisciplinary team. In 2016, the HSE National Service Plan objective for improved performance for the year is for 78% or greater of accepted referrals to Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health Teams to be seen within three months. A targeted approach to addressing the needs of those waiting over 12 months, combined with maintaining targets for first appointments and seeing individuals within three months, is a priority for this year. In addition, the Executive last year launched a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for both in-patient and community based CAMHS provision, the purpose of which is to ensure that the delivery of services is carried out in a consistent and transparent manner and that the care and treatment offered reflects the identified clinical needs of the child - with a consistent level of clinical care across all regions.
The Government is progressing various new service priorities from additional funding including the continued development of counselling services across both primary and secondary care. This involves, for example, three new Jigsaw mental health services in Cork, Dublin city centre and Limerick; the continued expansion of Community Mental Health teams; improved 24/7 response and Liaison Services; better Psychiatry-of-Later Life mental health care; improved Perinatal Mental Health, and two new mental health Clinical Programmes, specifically relating ADHD in Adults and Children, and Dual Diagnosis of those with Mental Illness and Substance Misuse. My Department is currently examining proposals from the HSE relating to these new initiatives, as well as proposals for the ongoing development of a range of existing and new specialist mental health services. A decision on the release of new funding will be made shortly.
I will continue to progress and monitor all aspects of Mental Health care for young people to ensure the adequacy of the service to meet current and future demands.
286. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health his plans to work with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to ensure persons with mental health difficulties have access to housing and tenancy support and are protected from becoming homeless, especially upon discharge from inpatient services or when leaving care. [12092/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government, both through its commitment to the continued implementation of A Vision for Change, and in line with the new Programme for Government supports access by mental health users to other health and personal social services, where their needs are consistent with their entitlements generally.
In relation to housing and tenancy supports, my Department and the HSE participate in the implementation monitoring group for the Housing Strategy for People with disability, including people with mental health issues, which is addressing the needs of mental health service users in regard to accommodation, tenancy sustainment and related issues, including at sensitive points in their transition to care in the community.
€2m is being provided to address the mental health needs of homeless persons in the Dublin region this year, from additional funding secured for mental health in the 2016 HSE National Service Plan. The funding will support care and case management and intensive addiction and mental health in-reach programmes for homeless people in supported temporary accommodation and in long-term accommodation. The increased funding will also support long-term intensive care for homeless people with chronic and enduring health needs living in long-term supported accommodation that do not require acute hospital care, but have high support needs.
287. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health his plans to help support employment opportunities for persons who have a mental health disability. [12093/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Integrating Employment and Mental Health Support (IEMHS) project is a Genio-funded partnership project between the Department of Social Protection, the HSE and Mental Health Reform. The project aims to demonstrate how existing mental health and supported employment (Employability) services can fulfil the best practice Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment through improved integration.
Operating across four sites (West Cork, Mayo, Cavan/Monaghan and Galway), the project will provide integrated mental health and employment support for 20 individuals per site over 2 years (up to 80 participants in total). The project will go beyond current criteria for Employability services by allowing participating service users to avail of supported employment regardless of 'job readiness' and through integrating the Job Coach into the mental health team. The project is currently under way and is due to run for two years from 1st June, 2015 to 31st May, 2017.
Based on international research, the project is likely to improve the mental health outcomes for the participating service users as well as increasing the likelihood that they will access work. The project will also increase the capacity of participating supported employment services to support individuals with severe mental health difficulties.
The IEMHS project is in line with Government mental health and employment policy. The national mental health policy 'A Vision for Change' states that people with a mental health difficulty should be able to avail of employment opportunities on an equal basis with others.
In the new Programme for Government, the Government will seek to introduce flexibility and support in the social welfare system for people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties to transition into employment by ensuring a seamless return of their entitlements should a particular employment opportunity prove unsuitable and also establish dedicated funding supports for tenancy sustainment for people transitioning from HSE-supported accommodation and for clients in mental health services living in other types of accommodation in the community.
The support provided by community, voluntary and advocacy groups is vital to people with mental health difficulties, to their families and carers. The Government will seek to ensure that they are supported in the initiatives and programmes they receive and also improve the uniformity, effectiveness and timeliness of support services to families and communities bereaved by suicide.
The Government will also seek to provide more residential places for people with enduring mental health issues, including forensic and dual diagnosis patients.
288. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of the provision of a 24-7 crisis support service for mental health; the estimated set up costs and the required annual budget. [12094/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Service Plan 2016 sets out as one of its goals an improved 24/7 response through investment in additional liaison psychiatry services, through an enhanced community mental health services provision seven days a week and investment in the development and staffing of crisis houses.
Funding is being made available in 2016 to facilitate the transfer of some patients from the Forensic Mental Health Services to the community, for high observation in acute mental health units and the improvement of 24/7 services through additional liaison psychiatry services. Other new developments proposed in the 2016 National Service Plan include new clinical programmes for dual diagnosis and adults with ADHD and provision of additional clinical space in community services. The existing clinical programmes directed at eating disorders, self-harm in Emergency Departments and early intervention in psychosis are also being progressed.
In relation to the estimated costs involved in 24/7 crisis support services, as this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter.
289. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health his plans to involve persons with an experience of mental health difficulties in the design and delivery of services, including peer workers and peer-run services; and the estimated funding required to do this. [12095/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe views of service users are important in the design and delivery of mental health services. One of the priorities of 'A Vision for Change' when it was published in 2006 was to include service users views in their own care pathways and a recommendation set out in the policy is that 'service users and carers should participate at all levels of the mental health system'.
This high priority is also set out in the 2016 HSE Service Plan which states that the views of service users, family members and carers are central to the design and delivery of mental health services.' The HSE Mental Health Division established a Reference Group in 2014 to make recommendations on the structures and mechanism for Service User, Family Member and Carer Engagement. The membership comprised of nine service users and four family and carer representatives. In line with their Terms of Reference, the group began its work in August 2014 and completed its work in July 2015, making recommendations for promoting widespread and regular engagement and consultation with service users, family members and carers at local and national level. These recommendations have been approved by the National Mental Health Division Management Team for implementation. In January this year the HSE announced the appointment of a Head of Service User, Family Member and Carer Engagement to the HSE National Mental Health Management Team. This post commenced on the 22nd of February 2015 and the holder has responsibility to lead out on the recommendations of the Service User, Family Member and Carer Reference Group.
During 2016 the HSE will complete the establishment of the Office of Service User Engagement and continue the roll out of programmes to support collaboration and partnership with service users, family members and carers. The HSE is also committed to embedding the role of service user, family members and carers at the heart of mental health service delivery nationally and at CHO level.
