Ms Sarah Cullinan:

We evaluate outcomes for each individual by looking at his or her level of distress when they first come through our door and at the end of our intervention. Our outcomes are really positive and show that our early intervention service really does work. A large majority of the young people coming through the door have greatly decreased levels of psychological distress when they leave the Jigsaw service.

We also seek to help them build capacity to support them when they encounter challenges again in the future. Jigsaw does not set out to eradicate mental health difficulties, which are part of the human condition. Young people will encounter challenges again, in relationships, school or transitions. Part of Jigsaw's intervention is intended to help them so that when they walk out the door, they take some tools and tips with them that will help when another challenge presents itself. Last week we heard from a panel of service users who came to give us some feedback about their experience. One of them spoke about a folder she had built up with the clinician she worked with that included some hints and tips. She talked about knowing her own triggers and being able to remember the things she worked on in sessions with that clinician when things became a bit more challenging and her mental health slipped a little bit. The idea is that service users bring something away with them for when something else presents itself, as it inevitably does in all of our lives. The important thing for us is that the data on outcomes, not just for Jigsaw but internationally, show that an early intervention service really does work in alleviating that stress.