Integrated involvement within Mental Health provision 2021 – 2031
Could you contribute to developing an involvement infrastructure for those with lived experience of mental health in NI?
The Mental Health Strategy 2021 – 2031
The Department of Health’s vision for Northern Ireland is a society which promotes emotional wellbeing and positive mental health for everyone across the lifespan, which supports recovery, and seeks to reduce stigma. A system that ensures consistency and equity of access to services, regardless of where a person lives, and that offers real choice.
A mental health system that breaks down barriers to put the individual and their needs right at the centre, respecting diversity, equality and human rights, to ensure people have access to the right help and treatment at the right time, and in the right place.
Aspiration to have mental health services that are compassionate and able to recognise and address the effect of trauma, that are built on real evidence of what works, and which focus on improving quality of life and enabling people to achieve their potential.
What’s Involved?
The Department of Health have launched a public consultation on a draft of the new, ten year Mental Health Strategy for Northern Ireland. The consultation will run up to the 26th March 2021. A key aspect of the Mental Action Plan in the implementation of the Mental Health Strategy 2021 – 2031, is the development of an infrastructure to continue, improve and embed involvement and co-production activities related to Mental Health service users and carers into practice within health and social care programme planning.
The Patient and Client Council are setting up a structured ‘Engagement Platform for Mental Health’ and are seeking the involvement and perspectives of people with lived experience of mental ill health and also the views of their families and carers. Once in place, participants will be able to communicate their experiences and thoughts with the PCC, as well as being able to share their views directly with decision-makers in health and social care.
The commitment for each group member is to be willing and available to attend engagement sessions, workshops and training sessions as appropriate. Give some time prior for the reading of any preparation materials and have the ability to partake in virtual groups via Zoom.
- Promote well-being and resilience through prevention and early intervention
- Promotion, prevention and Early intervention
- Promote positive mental health for children and families
- Provide the right support at the right time
- Mental Health and physical care
- Mental health and Older Adults
- Psychological Therapies
- In-patient Services
- Co-current Mental Health and Substance Misuse
- Crisis Services
- Community Mental Health
- Specialist interventions
- Perinatal Services
- Eating Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- First presentation of psychosis
- New ways of working
- A Regional Mental Health Service
- Workforce Planning
- Innovation and Research
- Data and Outcomes
- Experience of mental health is necessary.
- Applicants should have the ability to participate in a group setting to input into discussions on development of involvement infrastructure, from a service user or carer perspective.
- Applicants will have a vested interest in the integration and embedding of co-production into practice within mental health services and be willing to commit to participating in the scheduled and required sessions.
- Having an understanding of the bigger picture of the draft Mental Health Strategy 2021 – 2031 in Northern Ireland may be beneficial.
- Training will be provided on Health and Social Care systems and structures, as well as the priorities and plans for the future. This will help your understanding of the bigger picture of our Health and Social Care system in Northern Ireland.
- An induction programme will introduce members to the principles and practicalities of involving service users and provide a background to the mental health strategy for Northern Ireland.
Should you have any further queries, please contact Jackie.Kelly@pcc-ni.net
Initial applications to join the Mental Health engagement Platform has now closed. Application to get involved with specific subgroups related to the Mental Health Strategy will open in due course.