Emotional/Behavioural Difficulties

Southern Area Children & Young People's Committee

            DISABLED CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE

   KIDSCORNER

Statistical Information for:-

Working Groups:-

Family Support Strategy Group

Southern Area Child Protection Committee

Southern Child Care Partnership

Meeting the needs of Black and Minority Ethnic Children and Young People

Southern Area Action with Travellers

Disabled Children and Young People

Young Carers

Children & Young People with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

Children, Young People and Offending

Children Looked After

Young People Leaving Care/ those requiring Aftercare Services and Homeless Young People

Domestic Violence Working Group

Scope

Children and young people suffering emotional or behavioural difficulties which impede or distort personal development and affect relationships, causing distress to the child or young person, their family or community.

Aim

• To promote the mental health of children and young people.

• To reduce distress in children, young people and their families and, as appropriate, manage or treat problems or illnesses.

Main Objectives:-

1.    Promoting mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in the Southern area.

2.    A comprehensive assessment and intervention service to meet the mental health needs of children and young people in the area will be in place.

What Progress have we made

A range of health promotion initiatives were undertaken during 2003/2004 particularly by the Southern Area Health Promotion Department (SAHPD) which continued to work with schools and the wider youth sector in general. These initiatives included:

• The updating and reprinting of a directory of ‘mental health’ services for young people.

   

   

  Click on Young Minds Matter to link to Directory of Services

   

• Developing and publication of a new ‘mental health promotion resource pack’ for youth workers entitled UP!

(Key speakers attending the launch of 'Up - A Resource Manual for Developing Self Esteem Work in the Youth Setting - from Left Eithne McCracken, Ogras Youth Centre;Gerard Doran, SELB;Deirdre McNamee, Southern Area Health Promotion;Dr Stephen Bergin, Consultant in Public Health Medicine SHSSB;Cecilia Woods, Non-Executive Director ADHSST & Gerard Rocks, Southern Area Health Promotion.)

• Participating in the health promoting college initiatives including workshops for young people at local colleges (focusing upon mental health issues).

• A number of training events have been organised by the SAHPD e.g. working with troubled adolescents, bullying, ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training).

• Developments are also ongoing to develop a mental health promotion section on the SAHPD website which will specifically target young people.

• Bereaved by Suicide Booklet, a booklet for anyone who has been bereaved by suicide, was produced and distributed via Health Promotion Departments within Trust Areas.

Click to download copy

• Eating Disorders: Adapt and Craigavon and Banbridge HSS Trust have produced a section on the Goodhealthinfo website dealing with nutrition and eating distress. The aim is to bring together sound information on issues such as self-image and self-esteem, with particular attention on local sources of help and support.

           Click on logo for link

• In addition, a new multi-agency “Health Promoting Schools” initiative commenced, under the Investing for Health partnership. Although at an early stage, this promises to provide a new forum through which schools, and in turn children and young people, will be able to access mental health type promotion resources.

• A stakeholders consultation workshop was held in January 2004 which was attended by 90 delegates from a range of settings throughout the Southern Area. This event has helped provide valuable information for the formulation of a locally based action plan which will complement the Regional Promoting Mental Health Strategy and Action Plan.

• An accredited training programme entitled Mental Health Promotion Principles and Practice is currently being delivered to 17 delegates from a range of settings across the Board Area. This course is being facilitated by NIAMH and is accredited through the University of Ulster at Jordanstown.

• A consultation event took place on 23 March 2004 where  around 100 young people from schools throughout the Board Area attended. This event will help inform the development of locally based action plans in relation to the Promoting Mental Health Strategy.

• A Cross-Border Conference entitled Young People and Positive Mental Health was held in December 2003. This annual conference, organised jointly by SAHPD and Health Promotion Department of the North Eastern Health Board, was attended by 170 delegates from both sides of the border. The conference provided the opportunity to explore best practice in relation to mental health promotion with young people.

• A reprint of “Concerned About Suicide” Leaflet has been funded by the SHSSB. Copies of the leaflet are currently available via SAHPD.

Click on Leaflet Concerned about Suicide to download

• A second HPO for Mental Health Promotion has recently been appointed by the SAHPD to assist with the implementation of the MHP Strategy and Action Plan.

At a broader strategic level, the promotion of mental health and well-being is now influenced by the new Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Regional Mental Health Promotion Strategy launched in 2003. The strategy encompasses a wide range of challenging targets including a number specific to children and young people. A working group has been established and will consider how to address such targets during 2004/2005.

(Attendees at the Southern Area Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training - ASIST)

Assessment and Intervention Services

• The 4 tiered model of service provision was highlighted in the Children's Services Plan 2002-2005.  This model is being used to guide the development of treatment services for children/adolescents with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

• In November 2005 the Regional (Bamford) Review of Mental Health published its report regarding Child & Adolescent Mental Health services. The report outlines the vision for services that should be developed over the next 5-10 year period. The Regional (Bamford) Review report outlines the need to develop community based services and advocates greater working on a multi-agency basis. In addition, the report also highlights the need for greater preventative and mental health promotion type services.

         The Regional Review report can be accessed at:

         http://www.rmhldni.gov.uk/cmah_report.asp

• Taking this report as the main ‘service development blueprint’, a key task during 2006 will be to review existing service provision within the SHSSB area to identify gaps in local service provision. Using the Regional (Bamford) Review report, and the findings of this ‘gap analysis’, it is anticipated that priority development areas will be identified to guide the future commissioning and development of services over the next 5 years locally. This process will not only focus upon the development of services (and interventions) but also consider the need to develop additional mental health promotion initiatives focusing upon young people across the SHSSB area.

• It is anticipated that the above review process will be complete mid 2006 and that a detailed report will be available for circulation.

Members of The Children and Young People with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Working Group  

EMail: valerima@shssb.n-i.nhs.uk

Telephone 028 37 414602              Fax 028 37 414553