Legislation to drive move to comprehensive community care

Objective: The Department of Health and Children publishes legislation for appropriate community based services

WHY?
Since 1984 the Government’s policy has called for mental health care to be primarily provided in the community and not in hospitals. But in 2009 four out five HSE mental health staff still work in in-patient units, and we know there is an over-reliance on medication rather than a choice in treatments.

Community-based care should be provided by multi-disciplinary mental health teams which include nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, occupational therapists, crisis and home interventions services. The latest Government mental health policy, A Vision for Change, published in 2006 reiterated these recommendations, but implementation has been painfully slow.

WHAT?
It is clear that policy alone is failing. We are calling for new laws that will ensure Ireland gets effective community based mental health services. This law would help deliver a progressive mental health service as promised in A Vision for Change and respect people’s human rights.

Such an approach has been recommended by the World Health Organisation and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

RESOURCES

• Accountability in the delivery of A Vision for Change: A performance assessment framework for mental health services [May 2010]
  
• Submission to the Independent Monitoring Group on A Vision for Change [Nov 2009]
• Indecon Report to Amnesty
• Amnesty International Foreword
• Pre Budget Submission 2011 Final