DCU and HSE deliver mental health ‘pilot’ programme - the only one of its kind in Ireland

DCU President Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski with Liam MacGabhann, Lecturer DCU School of Nursing

Participants in a new mental health ‘pilot’ project today received their certificates from Mr Michael Finneran, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and also chairperson of the Roscommon Mental Health Association.

This new pilot course, the only one of its kind in Ireland, is aimed at improving the treatment and care of people with mental health problems by looking at a new model of care which takes a ‘tripartite’ approach. In this new approach, the friends and families and the service provider all work together with the service user as a team to develop improved mental health care services.

This 9-month course ‘Cooperative Learning: Service Improvement Leadership for Mental Health Service Users, Carers and Service Providers’ grew out of the need for a more innovative approach to improving mental health services in Ireland.

DCU is recognised internationally as a pioneer of new approaches to mental health care, for example was involved in developing an advocacy approach for people with mental health problems. There have been expressions from both Canada and the UK in learning from our cooperative process.

DCU has a reputation for creativity and innovation and has already developed courses which respond to HSE needs.

In this new 'pilot' project, five mental health services from Mayo, Cork, Donegal and Dublin sponsored a three-person team – a service user, a carer of a service user and a health service professional. The course enabled people from different backgrounds and perspectives to work and learn together.

According to Liam MacGabhann, lecturer in DCU’s School of Nursing, “It is generally agreed that people with mental health problems don’t have the same rights as other citizens. They can be excluded from the workplace or their homes and can lose the right to self-determination. In developing this new course, we are actually empowering service users . carers and professionals to deliver improved service changes in local mental health care.

The course is using a ‘trialogue’ model which will enable participants to develop shared understandings, where people bring three different perspectives to the table and teach other about what works, as opposed to the older method where the service professionals imposed their views.