Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

218. To ask the Minister for Health his views on matters contained in Sharing the Vision in which it states that a person with an addiction has a right to access relevant mental health supports; his further views on whether this should include access to non-State organisations that receive funding from the State to provide mental health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17742/20]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Sharing the Vision - A Mental Health Policy for Everyone, stipulates that individuals with co-existing mental health difficulties and addiction to either alcohol or drugs should not be prevented from accessing mental health services. Consequently, it will not be necessary to establish whether a mental health difficulty is ‘primary’ for an individual to access the support of a mental health team. A shared case management approach may be required for particularly complex patients.

On this basis, the policy recommends that a tiered model of integrated service provision for individuals with a dual diagnosis (e.g. substance misuse with mental illness) be developed to ensure that pathways to care are clear.

With regards service provision by NGOs, the policy recognises that the voluntary and community sector organisations are key partners in the design and development of the HSE’s mental health services at national and local level, as well as referral partners for primary mental healthcare. Their services extend to therapeutic and other recovery supports for individuals and FCS and can, therefore, help to reduce the use of inappropriate referrals to specialist mental health services.

The policy recommends that where Voluntary and Community Sector organisations are providing services aligned to the outcomes in this policy, operational governance and funding models should be secure and sustainable. In addition, the policy also contains recommendations to ensure more integrated linkages between HSE mental health services and the VCS sector.