The HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Office published a 3 year Action Plan which sets out 16 key actions for comprehensive reform of child and youth mental health services in Ireland. We want to ensure all children and families have equitable and timely access to high-quality mental health services. The plan works towards redesigning and delivering services which are safe, easy to access and appropriate.

P.22 Inclusive and Accessible: Children and young people should feel included and valued and barriers to care should be removed particularly for those in priority groups. Children and young people should be able to access mental health supports without experience of stigma. Priority groups include:
– members of the LGBTQ+ community
– the Traveller community
– children in care
– those who are homeless
– those who have issues with substance misuse
– those who come in contact with the criminal justice system
– those who have experienced abuse
– asylum seekers, refugees and migrants

P.51 Actions
1 Support implementation of Social Inclusion recommendations Support implementation of StV Social Inclusion recommendations by working with their implementation leads.
2 Support young people who have co-morbid substance use disorder Collaborate with HSE Dual Diagnosis Clinical Programme to support young people attending mental health services who also have a substance use disorder.
3 Ensure priority groups represented on Independent Advisory Panel Ensure there is representation from priority groups in the Independent Advisory Panel for children and young people (see Service User Involvement section)...