HSE publishes Action Plan for the reform of child and youth mental health services in Ireland

The HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Office has today (Monday, 17 February 2025) published a 3 year Action Plan which sets out 16 key actions for comprehensive reform of child and youth mental health services in Ireland.

We want to ensure all children and families have equitable and timely access to high-quality mental health services. The plan works towards redesigning and delivering services which are safe, easy to access and appropriate. It now provides us with a 3-year road map, however full implementation of all actions will take longer.

Speaking after the launch of the action plan, Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler said:

‘’Establishing the Child and Youth Mental Health Office was an absolute priority for me over the last few years, and I am really pleased to see this Action Plan now published. The plan provides an ambitious vision which will be the foundation for real and vital change in our mental health services on the ground. We will also continue to implement the recommendations of our national mental health policy ‘Sharing the Vision’.

“Significant additional recruitment in our mental health workforce is underway and I look forward to continuing to support the Office and to seeing significant improvements in the lives of children, young people and their families who need mental health supports and services.”

Donan Kelly, National Lead for the HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Office said:

“Achieving our vision would mean that all children and young people in Ireland would have the greatest chance to enjoy a healthy life and reach their full potential. Supporting healthy emotional and social development in childhood lays the foundation for good mental health and resilience throughout their lives.

“We need to promote good mental health, build resilience in children and young people and their families, and identify mental health needs early. To do this, we must ensure that the appropriate services are in place. It is a complex undertaking but throughout our consultations and engagements with staff, with young people and with parents, we know that we are on the right path.”

Dr Amanda Burke, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and National Clinical Lead for the HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Office notes that the main goal is to re-design and deliver services which are safe, effective, easy to access, and which offer appropriate support. “To achieve this goal, this plan identifies 16 priority improvement themes. Among our main aims are to improve consistency and safety in how we deliver care, improve accessibility and integration, and to ensure involvement of children, young people and their families in the design, delivery and evaluation of mental health services.’’

“We also want to develop a single point of access for child and youth mental health services, which will bring together statutory and community services in one place. This will help to identify the most suitable treatment or support options for the child or young person and their family.”

The Action Plan also includes recommendations for enhanced transitions from child and adolescent services to adult services at age 18 including:

Electronic health record (EHR)

The electronic health record (EHR) will replace current paper-based records across all CAMH services. There will be a patient portal which will allow young people and their parents to actively engage in their care and access their own information. It will also mean that children and young people won’t have to ‘re-tell’ their story when moving between services. Overall it will improve transparency and consistency of care delivery, increase safety and efficiency, and facilitate quality improvement, clinical audit, and wider service planning.

Single Point of Access

A key focus of the office is the development of a single point of access (SPoA) for all child and youth mental health referrals, in partnership with Disabilities, Primary Care and Voluntary and Statutory Agencies.​ This will be achieved through resourcing, partnership and collaboration, and the design and development of a single integrated pathway to mental health services a streamlined referrals process.​ This means that children and young people and their parents will have access to support and services when they need it, without having to navigate complex systems or wait for services.

The Action Plan also highlights the importance of ensuring that the needs of priority groups and those who are most socially marginalised are addressed, as well as the importance of improved IT systems.

For more information on the Action Plan visit here.