New HSE online tool 'My Mental Health Plan' will improve access to support

A new HSE online and interactive support 'My Mental Health Plan' went live today, to help people reflect on their own mental health needs and offers personalised advice and information. My Mental Health Plan will help people address issues like stress, sleep, low mood and anxiety to improve mental health and self-care.

Mary Butler, TD, Minister of State for Mental Health, said:

“I am delighted to launch ‘My Mental Health Plan’ today which is available from Mental Health. It is a great way to check in with your mental health and get advice and self-care tips that can be incorporated into your daily life. It provides people with a tailored mental health plan with advice ranging from information and self-help resources to clear signposting to appropriate mental health supports.

“This is just one example, as a result of Sharing the Vision recommendations, of how we are making progress in addressing people’s mental health needs, from population-based mental health promotion all the way through to specialist mental health services.”

My Mental Health Plan is being highlighted as one of the new digital mental health initiatives of Sharing the Vision - a mental health policy for everyone at a learning event today. This event, attended by people involved in the delivery of mental health services and partners from the voluntary and community sector,  was an opportunity to highlight some other key milestones in the combined efforts to reform the full range of mental health services from early intervention to specialist services, while creating an opportunity to look ahead to the new implementation plan.

Among the areas highlighted are:

• Crisis Resolution Services - These are at various stages of development in five locations nationwide. The service aims to provide a responsive, community based MDT service to work with service users experiencing a mental health crisis who would otherwise require assessment in the Emergency Department and / or admission to a mental health hospital bed.
• Social Prescribing - In 2023, 5,589 people accessed social prescribing services nationwide. 65% of referrals related to social isolation and 15% related to mental health, with all age groups from 18 to over 75 years of age represented. Social prescribing has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on a very wide range of outcomes, including decreases in loneliness and improvements in mental health, social connections and in overall wellbeing.
• CAMHS Hubs - A new service development to support CAMHS Teams in delivering enhanced responses to children, young people and their families/carers in times of acute mental health crisis. Five CAMHS Hubs aim to reduce hospital admission by providing intensive supports during times of acute mental health crisis.

Opening the event, Mary Butler, TD, Minister of State for Mental Health, continued:

“I am also pleased to be speaking at this event today as the implementation of this policy is a key priority for me and this is an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved in the last year. Sharing the Vision, with 100 recommendations and a whole-population, life-cycle approach, is an ambitious policy and some recommendations require considerable change. Today represents an opportunity for the work streams to share learnings, seek input, and consider how we can continue to work together to overcome challenges.

Dervila Eyres, Head of Operations, HSE Mental Health, and chair of the HSE Implementation Group (HIG) said:

“This year’s event focuses on collaboration and impact. Implementing Sharing the Vision, with its 100 recommendations, is a considerable undertaking and implementation is only possible through collaboration with so many of our key partners: Our staff, other departments within the HSE, the voluntary and community sector, government, and of course people who have used mental health services and have lived experience to share with us and to inform the way forward.

We know there are a number of aspects of our mental health services that still need to be improved and Sharing the Vision provides a framework in which we can implement real change. Through the HSE Implementation Group (HIG), we will continue to drive the implementation of this policy through effective interagency and interdepartmental collaboration.”

Use my Mental Health Plan

Read more about Sharing the Vision - gov.ie.