MENTAL HEALTH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS
by Dr Miguel Garcia, Head of Mental Health for Health and Community Services.
The island’s mental health services are undergoing significant improvements
After years of underinvestment, mental health is firmly on the Government’s agenda. Work is already under way to overhaul the services and facilities on offer in Jersey.
The Council of Ministers has committed to improving the quality of, and access to, services by making mental health one of its key priorities during its term of office. But rather than just paying lip service to mental health, an issue which is very much in vogue, how is the Government revolutionising services?
As a consultant psychiatrist, I am well aware that the Government’s mental health mandate is a big one to fill, but I am confident that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The pace of change in the development Page 10 20/20 - Mental Health
of the island’s mental health services has increased substantially over the last few months. Work has already started to make physical improvements to our facilities and we’ve also been recruiting more staff to help support the people who need our services.
I would not have taken on this role if I did not believe that we could make the changes we need to create a mental health service that the island can be proud of. I have a great team and we are working in partnership with peers, carers and the third and private sectors.
Within the proposed Government Plan 2020-2023 the Council of Ministers has set out its ambitious aims for addressing the island’s mental health needs. In the next year these aims include setting up a mental health crisis team and adjusting
the referral pathway to help people access psychiatric help in a timely manner.
There are plans to put in place measures to support the Mental Health and Capacity and Self-Determination Laws to ensure that our service is human rights compliant. The Government also intends to develop a care pathway for those with complex trauma, the result, for example of physical and sexual abuse.
In November 2019 the pilot of a new Listening Lounge began. This space provides islanders, who are struggling with common mental health problems, with the opportunity to seek help at a specialist drop-in facility in Charles Street, St Helier. The Listening Lounge is a partnership between the Government of Jersey and LINC, a private provider in
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