HSE launches national model of care for people with severe and enduring mental illness and complex needs

A new model of care for people with severe mental illness and complex needs has been launched by the HSE.

The Model of Care is part of a range of initiatives that have been developed by the HSE to provide recovery focused care for service users including; the establishment of two national Specialised Rehabilitation Units (SRUs) and the creation of a national SRU referral process.

The Specialised Rehabilitation Units (SRUs) have been designed as inpatient approved centres providing 24-hour care with a focus on active medium-term rehabilitation. Staffed by expert multidisciplinary teams (MDT), the SRUs offer a wide range of treatments and supports such as psychological interventions, self-care and living skills, creative therapies and physical health. There are currently two in Dublin located in Bloomfield Health Services in Rathfarnham and Highfield Healthcare in Whitehall.

Speaking at the launch Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Jim Daly T.D. said “Over the past few decades we have seen a positive shift in how and where we deliver mental health services to people. It’s not about treating the problem, it’s about treating the person and we can see here today that this work is all about specialised care for some of the most vulnerable people in our society. With an emphasis on rehabilitation and recovery, the main aim is to enable people with complex mental health needs to live independently within their own communities.”

Assistant National Director, HSE Mental Health Operations, Jim Ryan added “We often hear about the great work that goes on to raise awareness for population-wide mental health but we don’t hear as much about the work that goes on to improve services for those with more serious and long-lasting mental illness. We have seen first-hand how specialised treatment can have a massive impact on people with really complex needs and we know that the changes we have made to our services have significantly improved outcomes for many of our service users to date.