Reform of Ireland’s mental health services is at a critical junction. After decades of neglect the publication of A Vision for Change in 2006 promised renewed energy and drive to substantially improve the delivery of services.
But this change is still to be realised. Implementation has been painfully slow and there have not been effective checks in place to ensure change is progressing. The only way to successfully improve mental health services in Ireland is to address this gap.
This report clearly and simply sets out how implementation of the mental health services, as set out in A Vision for Change, can be effectively monitored.
Since the publication of Planning for the Future in 1984, Government policy has been clear that the best way to deliver mental health services is through comprehensive community-based mental health teams. But more than 25 years later and with a second policy echoing this priority, this is still far from reality for the thousands of people accessing services in Ireland today.
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