Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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176. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding mental health and additional resources for frontline mental health care services (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39034/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Dealing with the current high levels of suicide and deliberate self-harm and the reform of our mental health services are two priority areas for the Government. In line with Programme for Government commitments, €90 million and some 1,100 additional posts have been provided since 2012, to develop Community Mental Health Teams and Suicide Prevention resources. In addition, the budget for the National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) has more than doubled, from €4 million in 2011 to €8.8 million in 2014.

The NOSP has primary responsibility for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Reach Outour suicide prevention strategy and has been tasked with coordinating suicide prevention efforts around the country as well as supporting agencies and individuals interested and active in suicide prevention. The NOSP funds over thirty non-governmental organisations to carry out an array of work in communities that promote positive mental health and work to reduce the incidence of suicide and self-harm. In 2014, the NOSP will continue to work in partnership to deliver local and community based supports as well as frontline services. The NOSP is also working to improve access to information and supports for anyone experiencing mental health difficulties with the development of the free to call Samaritans 116 123 helpline number which was launched earlier this year, and a new on-line portal, which will be launched shortly, that will provide easily accessible and accurate information. These new initiatives will simplify the signposting to services for people who may be going through tough times.

In recognition of the need to further improve the response of the Mental Health Service to people following an episode of deliberate self harm, the HSE, in conjunction with the Irish College of Psychiatrists, has developed a Clinical Programme. An important aspect of the Programme is to ensure each person is linked in to the follow up recommended by the nurse. Thirty five posts have been allocated on the basis of the number of self harm presentations to the various Emergency Departments; twenty two of these posts are currently filled and training has been initiated. In addition, the Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) initiative is being extended to eight new sites across the country and will be operational by the end of the year. This service provides active liaison between primary care and the mental health services and enables and assists GPs in carrying out speedy clinical assessments of patients presenting with deliberate self harm/suicide crisis.

Mindful that schools are one of the key settings for the promotion of mental health and well-being of young people and that they are also in the position to identify young people experiencing emotional difficulties, the NOSP worked closely with the Department of Education and Skills to develop Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention in post-primary schools.

The Department of Health and the NOSP are continuing to work very closely on suicide prevention issues and on the finalisation of a new Strategic Framework which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy (2006), A Vision for Change, provides a framework for action to develop a modern high quality mental health service over a 7 to 10 year period. Implementation of Visionhas included positive mental health promotion, accelerated closure of the old psychiatric hospitals, the development of community based adult and child and adolescent services and bespoke new facilities to support the recommended community-based, recovery-focussed model of care resulting in shorter episodes of in-patient care and the adoption of a recovery approach in the delivery of services.

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service is a key Service Improvement Project for the HSE. The project aims to improve access to and use of CAMHS in-patient, day hospital and community based services, particularly in the context of agreed protocols governing the area of 16-17 year olds. As part of the development funding prioritised by this Government since 2012 for mental health overall, upwards of 230 new posts have been allocated to Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health Teams. This additional investment is intended to enable CAMHS teams to cater for all age ranges up to 18 years. Area Mental Health Management Teams are now also in place across the country, to ensure a more seamless service between CAMHS and Adult Mental Health services.