Youth Work & Mental Health Issues

Presented by:

Maurice Walsh (Youthwork Manager)

Áine Sage (Learner with Limerick Youth Service)

7th April 2016

About Limerick Youth ServiceMission Statement: “To support and encourage young people to be active participants in shaping

their futures”

Integrated Youth Service founded in 1973, affiliated to Youth Work Ireland with collective representation and negotiation with a range of groups.

4000+ young people across Limerick access : Youth Cafes, Youth Clubs, Garda Youth Diversion projects (GYDP), Youth & Family Support Projects, Special projects for youth (SPY), Youth participation initiatives, International youth work opportunities, Counselling, Vocational Training & Education.

Recognised as being capable of enagaging young people with complex needs and issues and those disaffected from

their community (homeless, significant mental health issues/suicidal ideation/self-harm, involved in criminal and anti-social behaviour).

Proven track record and reputation for successful engagement with Travellers,young people in direct provision and migrant communities.

Rooted in communities with strong local relationships – the “go to” Organisation by young people, families, GP’s, Politicians, Service providers.

LYS approach to Youth Mental Health• Young people are the experts on their own mental health - never assume that everything is right with a young person

yet never assume there is something wrong.

• Offer preventative and interventionist approaches to youth mental health.

• Offer safe spaces where young people can participate as they feel comfortable in a range of programmes and activities, reducing stigma around Youth Mental health (in all aspects of the LYS model of youth work).

• Encourage young people to share their Mental health experiences in safe environments that can help shape future policy and practice.

• Offer opportunities to all young people to express themselves through various youth-led initiatives.

• Create opportunities for active engagement between young people and youth worker, sometimes leading to an introduction to a counsellor.

• Facilitate young people to meet with a counsellor (in a youth space) used to working with young people and flexible in their approach.

• Lead/participate in Meitheal (National practice model) where young person is placed at the centre and agencies intervene to support the young person & family around presenting issues (www.health.gov.ie/meitheal).

LYS Youth Mental Health Initiatives 2015

• Youth Mental Health Worker (JobBridge Intern) working to support mental wellbeing through focused groups and engagement in national campaigns.

• Psychotherapist (funded by HSE Drug & Alcohol Services 4 days per week) and Counsellor specifically for Community Training Centre (funded by DES under National Youthreach Programme 2 days per wk) focus mainly on strengths based counselling .

• Promotion of positive mental health through Youth Cafés and Youth Information and Communications.

• Advocate for and with young people through Comhairle na nÓg (Youth Parliament and Youth Participation initatives.

• Presentation to Minister Kathleen Lynch (Junior Health Minister with Mental Health brief) leading to funding being secured for dedicated Youth Mental Health initiative.

Express Yourself• Express Yourself group established for young people aged 14-19 to address both individual & collective needs of

young people as identified by members (including LGBT, body image, grief & loss, drugs & alcohol misuse).

• Collaboration with GOSHH on LBGT issues, participation in Limerick Pride Parade, support re sexual orientation & identity.

• Engagement with young people from Comhairle na nÓg (Youth Council) helping them plan & deliver Let’s Go Mental (Nationwide campaign to promote positive mental health in young people

• Young people participated in See Change Green Ribbon events sparking conversations aimed at reducing stigma associated with mental health and raising the awareness of mental health related issues.

• Limerick Mental Health Awareness Week: young people participated in activities ranging from Be Youth Self , youth led celebration of World Mental Health Day .

• Input to Samaritans volunteer training to enable trainers to gain a better understanding of self harm amongst young people.

• Mobilise the Youth Vote: youth-led panel discussion with politicians Nov 2015 following which Deputy Dan Neville raised in our National Parliament (Dáil) the lack of regional and young person specific Mental Health services meaning a young person has to be hospitalised in adult services in Dublin.

Counselling Approaches• Strengths based approach to empower young people.

• Brief interventions and group work supports to young people with a range of presenting issues including substance misuse and mental health and wellbeing.

• Meet young people in buildings/areas that they are familiar with and comfortable in.

Referrals come from youth worker who introduces young person to counsellor at first session.

• Provide young people with the tools necessary to identify when they need help and support them to do so.

Regional & National Issues• Mental health is the number one concern for young people in Ireland today.

• 75% of all adult mental health difficulties arise before the age of 24, yet mental health services are often difficult to access or simply don’t work for our young people.

• Rate of deliberate self harm in Limerick City is double the National average for both genders.

• Increasing demand for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Ireland with 2,541 children and adolescents on waiting list.

• (My World 2012) found that almost 30% of the 14,500 surveyed self reported levels of depression and anxiety which fell within the mild to severe range.

• Grief and loss identified as a serious issue amongst young people involved with LYS.

Many thanks for your attention

Questions?