Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 November 2021
116. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if recent assessments have been carried out by his Department into the capacity of counselling services offered by third level institutions, particularly given the mental health challenges posed by the extended period of home learning as a result of the pandemic. [58639/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe support and wellbeing of our students is a priority for my Department, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the increased stress and pressure resulting from it.
In 2020, a total of €5 million was allocated to the higher education institutions to support student mental health and wellbeing. HEIs were requested to allocate funds towards student-facing services, including the recruitment of additional Student Counsellors and additional Assistant Psychologists.
In 2021, a further €5 million was allocated to the higher education institutions to support student mental health and wellbeing. This funding allocated by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) included €2m delivered through the Recurrent Grant Model to Higher Education Institutions along with an additional €3m which I secured as part of the 2021 Covid-19 response package. Again HEIs were requested to allocate funds towards student-facing services.
HEIs were required to report on the use of funds to the HEA in July 2021. The HEA has analysed these reports and produced an overview report, which indicates the impacts of the funding.
This has included:
- increased capacity for students to avail of mental health services., especially in the provision of one-to-one sessions, and also, access to psychologists and in some institutions, to psychiatrists;
- additional and significant provisions offered include webinars, group sessions, online forums and the development of regular newsletters and e-zines, as well as increased social media presence;
- innovative outreach events and workshops were also instigated and reported on by HEIs and these provisions catered for consent, suicide prevention, addictive behaviours and vulnerable groups.
- HEIs have developed systems and structures for improving services and other activities. For example, in larger institutions, case management and triaging processes have been implemented;
- HEI staff have been able to avail of training sessions on mental health, thereby, raising the profile internally within HEIs of what services and supports are available for students.
The HEA encourages all HEIs in receipt of this funding to assist in the implementation of the following Frameworks:
- National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework;
- Framework for Consent in HEIs; Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions.
The outcome of this funding has resulted in all HEIs reporting a reduction in waiting times, with some HEIs offering rapid access resources. In addition, it is significant that HEIs proactively reach out to students rather than wait to contact Mental Health services. As a result, it has become the prevalent methodology of engaging with the student cohort.
In addition, the funding has supported several national projects to support and enhance student mental health and wellbeing across our HEIs.
- National Projects
These National Projects have produced dedicated tools, focused research and professional collaboration, which will support staff, augment policy-making and the effective targeting of resources across the sector to achieve the high standards set by the respective student well-being, consent and suicide prevention frameworks.
Support has been provided to:
- Capacity building through CAMS training providing Collaborative, Assessment and Management of Suicidality training to Student Counselling Service clinical staff across twenty-five HEIs.
- The facilitation of a fit-for-purpose ICT system for HEI student counselling services
- The development of a PCHEI (Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education in Ireland) bespoke higher education gatekeeper training resource, ‘Identifying and Responding to Distressed and At-Risk Students’.
- The rollout of the Speak Out reporting tool was created as part of the implementation of the Framework for Consent, which I launched on 19 October 2021.
- The building of a national database and a community of practice around Research on Suicide and Self-Harm in conjunction with the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF).
