The Mental Health Commission (MHC ) has published a toolkit to support and empower young people accessing child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS ) in Ireland.
The MHC Headspace Toolkit was developed in consultation with young people with the aim of being age-appropriate and accessible. It aims to support and empower young people who need to use mental health services – particularly those who need to go into hospital. It gives practical information about what will happen when they are admitted to hospital for mental health care, and includes information about their rights, their legal protections, and how to self-advocate in decisions about their care.
Available in print and online formats, it aligns with a key value of the MHC to promote person-centred support, thereby empowering individuals, and their supporters, to be co-creators in their care, recovery and decision-making.
“Experiencing mental health difficulties can be a worrying time, sometimes even more so when you are young, and especially if it is your first experience of mental health care,” said Gary Kiernan, director of regulation for the Mental Health Commission. “As the regulator, in addition to inspecting inpatient services and developing standards, we want to provide resources that can help empower the service user and help make their stay in hospital a more positive and recovery-focused experience.
“This is especially important in the case of young people. It is important that they know – and, indeed, their families, and service providers understand - that this toolkit is available to support them before they begin their journey through our mental health services, and, hopefully, to help remove some fear of the unknown.
“The MHC is very grateful to all of the young people who participated in our consultation process, and to our YAP partners, for helping us to deliver a relevant, contemporary and visually appealing resource.”
The toolkit provides information such as what care in an inpatient unit might look like; an overview of what may happen from admission onwards; the people that the young patient might meet; and a full explanation of words they may hear. It also includes practical information such as what young people can and should bring into hospital.
“We have also made all of the Headspace resources available online to ensure it is accessible to the widest possible audience,” said Mr Kiernan. “The new website – which will include the toolkit in 12 different languages, as well as providing it in audio format – will also offer useful information to families and representatives of young people admitted to inpatient units, at a time when they may also have questions and concerns.”
The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, has welcomed the updated MHC toolkit, stating that he remains concerned that some young people continue to find it difficult to have their views and opinions properly listened to when decisions are being made which affect them. “Young people I meet increasingly raise the issue of mental health and mental health services," he said. "I therefore welcome the important launch of this practical resource as an innovative support for a very important group, and I am hopeful that it will assist young people to take an active part in important decisions that are being made about them.”
The Headspace toolkit is available in online and downloadable forms at www.mhcirl.ie/headspace
