Joan Cronin: Children would be better served if healthcare professionals collaborated

Joan Cronin, a social worker who co-founded the Social Action Group, believes we need to listen to children, their parents, and hard-working GPs so that the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services can better help children

The model of care for children is meant to be holistic but in fact it is fraught with structural problems. File photo

I worked as a Principal Social Worker and Family Therapist in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) from 2000 to 2016.  I witnessed the development of services, from what were formally a few “Child Guidance” clinics scattered around the State to the rollout of over 70 Camhs teams across Ireland. 

I met many children. Some were sad, many were resilient but often troubled because of adversity which impacted on their mental health. Many of the children in the Camhs team I worked with had learning difficulties which made their mental health presentation more complex.