Mental health march highlights deficiencies
DEFICIENCIES in the provision of mental health services for children and adolescents in Co Wexford were highlighted at a march organised in the town at the weekend.
The event, organised by the Wexford Mental Health Warriors, saw around 200 people walk through the town to Abbey Green on Saturday where a number of guest speakers highlighted the main areas of concern relating to lack of support for provision of services.
Main speaker Dr Kieran Moore, who resigned from community psychiatric services in Co Wexford earlier this year, after telling an Oireachtas committee his position was ‘untenable and unsafe’ said Wexford benefited from having lovely people.
However, he said that with a population or around 149,605 the county really needs to have at least 39 to 40 professional service providers specifically trained in dealing with children and adolescents in terms of their mental health.
While welcoming measures taken by the Government to inject more funding into the mental health sector, he said that such budgets need to increase on an ongoing basis.
Jane Johnstone, one of those involved in organising the march, told this newspaper that the CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) does a brilliant job but tries to do so out of a building that is not fit-for-purpose. She said those involved with organising the march were happy with the turnout and it’s hoped awareness will build from there.
‘It was our first time doing a march so we hope to build on it,’ she said.
‘With better facilities a better provision of service can be given to children and adolescents,’ she added.