Children's Mental Health Coalition report identifies gaps in mental health services for children – McLellan
Speaking today after the launch of Children's Mental Health Coalition report at the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, Sinn Féin TD and Spokesperson on Children Affairs Sandra McLellan said that she welcomed the study and that it accurately identified many of the gaps in mental health services for children.
Deputy McLellan said:
“The report shines a light on the critical issue of gaps in mental health services and supports for children and young people, including staff shortages in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).”
“The study has found that mental health services for children and teenagers are overstretched and that access to adequate support is not straightforward, oftentimes confusing and troublesome for children who are already experiencing trauma.”
“This report is extremely timely in the wake of the HIQA report released just yesterday which revealed that children’s access to social services and to social workers in my constituency of Cork is entirely inadequate.”
“The report also raises the concern over the fact that one third of all child and teenage admissions were admitted to adult wards in 2014. It also recommends increasing the number of staff in the area, calls for adequate resourcing of mental health services in primary care and Child and Adolescent Mental health Services that provide an out-of-hours service.”
“This country must be a place where every child’s right to mental health is realised, and I commend the research and publication of this important report.”