By Ciarán Sunderland
Revised National Mental Health policy launched today.
The Minister for Health Simon Harris along with Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People Jim Daly published Ireland's new National Mental Health policy.
Called: "Sharing the Vision – a Mental Health Policy for Everyone," the revised policy follows an expert evidence review commissioned by the Department of Health.
The review considered the implementation of Ireland's previous National Mental Health policy: "A Vision for Change," and established with international best practise the new policy direction.
In a statement, the Department of Health said: "'Sharing the Vision' envisages a mental health system that addresses the needs of the population through a focus on the requirements of the individual."
The Department said four outcomes of the new policy are:
- promotion, prevention and early intervention
- service access, coordination and continuity of care
- social inclusion
- accountability and continuous improvement.
Speaking at the publication today, Simon Harris TD said the implementation of the new policy is critical given the pace of change in the world today and the imapct of Covid-19 on daily life.
Mr Harris said: "'Sharing the Vision' includes an implementation roadmap. It allocates ownership of recommendations to lead agencies and sets time-bound implementation targets against each recommendation’s actions. This will be key to its delivery.
“Its publication comes at a time when our world is rapidly changing, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is my sincere hope that this policy will play an essential role in shaping our responses to these challenges we face now, and those that are to come."
Minister Daly said the new policy will provide a roadmap for the future of mental health services in Ireland and that he is "confident that this policy will change lives for the better”.
