Calls for early mental health intervention in schools

Education Minister Norma Foley recently launched a €5m pilot mental health counselling service in primary schools around the country. Picture: Jim Coughlan

The Government should consider a model of care for young people where there is a “very clear link” between the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) and schools.

That is according to the Oireachtas education committee which has recommended the creation of a high-level steering group involving the departments of Education, Further Education, and Health along with the HSE and other relevant departments to implement such a system.

It cites a “transformative” model based on early intervention in schools that prevents mental health issues escalating to an acute stage.

This recommendation is contained in a report on a visit to Dorset in England by committee members which involved meetings with the local NHS Foundation Trust and education partners on the system implemented there to provide mental health supports in schools.

It comes after Education Minister Norma Foley launched a €5m pilot mental health counselling service in primary schools around the country.

The programme, due to begin in September, will include primary-based arts and therapies which can provide for the social and emotional wellbeing of children.

British model

During its meetings in Dorset, the committee said that “early intervention and prevention were cited throughout as the key to avoiding more serious mental health issues at a later stage in a child or young person’s life”.

Along with local NHS mental health support teams (MHSTs), a specialist role of designated mental health lead (DMHL) was established in schools to take responsibility for the on-site rollout of mental health supports.

From one-to-one supports to whole-of-school approaches, these MHSTs would engage in interventions for mild-to-moderate emotional and mental health issues using low-intensity approaches.

They would also give timely advice to school and college staff, signposting and liaising with specialist services to ensure students get the right supports.

“An integral part of this new Model is the post of Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)," said the report. "Each EMHP works on site in schools with the school MHL and other staff to deliver Interventions to individual students.” Such practitioners are specially trained and accredited, with an emphasis on consistency of practice, said the committee.

“In all schools, the engagements with the MHST and the on site EMHP were viewed as transformative in providing mental health supports to students in a targeted way,” it said. 

“The MHST filled the ‘gap’ between the CAMHs and individual schools and the ‘gap’ working with parents as part of the solution.” 

The committee said it can intervene when children require early support but need a less critical intervention. In cases where Camhs intervention is required, there is a clear referral pathway and the method has seen waiting lists decrease significantly.

Waiting lists

Issues with waiting lists for child mental health supports are frequently cited in this jurisdiction.

“The Role of DMHL is of great importance in this regard. MHSTs are on site in schools which is fundamentally different than the current situation in this country. At present, Therapeutic Supports are provided by the HSE independently of schools," said the committee.

“This type of Model should be considered further in Ireland in the context of a wider Mental Health Programme for Schools and Tertiary Education.”