Background
This timeline identifies some of the social and political changes from which service user involvement emerged to pursue its goals. It is characterised by a number of landmark events beginning with a push by disadvantaged groups for civil rights from the 1960’s onward. These events included:
• Location of services in the community
• Changes in the mental health system and closure of asylums
• Growth of consumerism
• Emergence of self-help concepts
• Influence of the anti-psychiatry movement’s critique of orthodox psychiatry
• Sharing of ideas between service user groups
• Employment of service user and carers in management roles
Between the rise of institutional care in the nineteenth century and the dismantling of asylums this century, mental health services in Ireland been through all lot of change, exemplified in recent times, by the introduction of a new Mental Health Act in 2001, which is chosen as the starting point for the timeline. Each occurrence on the timeline provides information on its significance with links to resources relating to the event.
January 30, 2001 Mental Health Act (fully implemented in 2006) establishes an independent Mental Health Commission with service user representation, introduces Mental Health Tribunals to review involuntary admissions…
April 28, 2002 Irish Advocacy Network (IAN), formed 1999, was sanctioned to provide services by Minister for Health and Children. IAN is a service user-led organisation working independently…
April 30, 2002 Closure of Our Lady’s Hospital Cork (Opened in 1789)
April 30, 2003 Peer support organisation Suicide or Survive founded http://www.suicideorsurvive.ie/
April 29, 2004 Health Service Executive (HSE) replaces old Health Boards
April 30, 2004 Formation of Mental Health Inspectorate. The functions of the Inspector (Section 51 of the 2001 Act) include visiting and inspect every approved centre at least…
May 1, 2005 Mental Health Commission publishes a “A Vision for Recovery in Irish Mental Health Services”. Service user involvement and engagement planned as cornerstones of the future…
August 30, 2005 The Irish College of Psychiatrists produces “A Better Future Now: a position paper on psychiatric services for children and adolescents” Link to “A Better future…
March 7, 2006 The United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities adopted. UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
May 1, 2006 “A Vision for Change” (2006) sets out the direction of Mental Health Services in Ireland from 2006-2016. A complete chapter outlining incorporation of the service…
May 2, 2006 Mental Health Reform – a national coalition of organisations campaigning to transform mental health care in Ireland formed. www.mentalhealthreform.ie
May 3, 2006 The Criminal Law Insanity Act (2006) replaces ‘guilty but insane’ verdict with ‘guilty by reason of insanity. www.irishstatutebook.ie
June 5, 2006 Hearing Voices Ireland (HVI) was founded in 2006 by Brian Hartnett to ‘promote and foster acceptance of voice hearing as a valid human experience‘. www.voicesireland.com
June 13, 2006 Jigsaw services for young people and families founded in 2006. Jigsaw are the National Centre for Youth Mental Health. There to ensure that no young…
May 1, 2007 Áras Folláin peer support centre opened in Nenagh. Áras Folláin is a Peer Support Centre that provides a non-judgemental environment where people have an opportunity to…
May 3, 2007 Slí Eile community housing project to support people with mental health problems opens. www.slieile.ie
May 7, 2007 The Gateway Project, a community based peer support project run by and for people with lived experience of mental health working together for recovery and…
May 2, 2008 National Strategy for Service User Involvement in the Health Service published
May 4, 2008 The Mental Health Commission publish its outline for “A Recovery Approach within the Irish Mental Health Services: A Framework for Development”. It considers that staff…
May 1, 2009 The College of Psychiatry of Ireland emerges from the Irish College of Psychiatrists, the Irish Psychiatric Association and the Irish Psychiatric Training Committee.
May 12, 2009 Joint Working Group on Mental Health Services and the Police formed. Report of Joint Working Group on Mental Health Services and the Police (2009)
May 2, 2010 Establishment of Co-operative Learning Programme at Dublin City University (DCU). A service improvement leadership collaboration between service users, carers and service providers. www.dcu.ie
June 15, 2010 The IIMHN, Gay + Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) and the HSE co-produce A Good Practice Guide for Mental Health Nurses working with Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual…
March 8, 2011 IIMHN produces Position Statement on Advanced Directives. It states “… nurses should encourage and facilitate users of mental health services to prepare and implement advanced…
May 2, 2011 The EOLAS project: a psycho-education programme for service user, families and supporters, uniquely co-facilitated by service users and clinicians begins. The EOLAS project delivers two mental…
May 9, 2011 Trialogue begin holding conversations about mental health within three groups – people experiencing mental health difficulties, carers and professionals in the community. https://www.dcu.ie/news/2011/mar/s0311h.shtml
May 2, 2012 HSE issues guidance papers for community services development, with specific guidance given for service user involvement in services. www.hse.ie/eng/services/
February 28, 2013 Closure of formerly Ireland’s largest psychiatric institution, St. Brendan’s Hospital, Dublin after 199 years (opened 1814). At its peak, the 74 acre campus housed 2,500…
May 2, 2013 Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) publish guidelines to inform for mental health staff when providing a mental health service for gay, lesbian, bisexual and…
May 2, 2013 Launch of first Recovery College to deliver co-produced recovery education (Mayo), 5 recovery colleges nationally in 2018 www.recoverycollegewest.ie/
May 2, 2013 Founding of Advancing Recovery in Ireland (ARI) as a National Mental Health Division initiative to bring together people who provide services, those who use them…
May 8, 2014 In 2014, the Mental Health Division undertook an ambitious number of events where they wanted to hear the experiences of service users, family members and…
April 17, 2015 Hearing Voices Network Ireland, a peer support organisation for people who hear voices launched in Ireland. HVNI affiliated to Intervoice, the international umbrella organisation for…
May 12, 2015 Establishment of HSE Office of Mental Health Engagement, the purpose of which is to support the development of mechanisms for service user and carer engagement….
May 11, 2016 Mental Health Ireland publish the Review of peer-led support in the community.
June 22, 2016 HSE launches ‘Partnership for Change’, the report of the Mental Health Reference Group. The report recommends establishing Local Fora and Area Fora for SU engagement, the…
May 2, 2017 Establishment of 9 HSE Area Leads comprised of service users, carers and family members to presents the views of service users, family members and carers…
May 4, 2017 IIMHN produce position paper on Trauma Informed Care. “In light of contemporary evidence, we can expect that the majority of people using mental health services…
July 13, 2017 Establishment of The Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Services in Ireland, aiming for cross-party consensus on the future of mental health…
November 20, 2017 Launch of National Framework for Recovery in Mental Health which builds on committed efforts of service users, family members, carers and service providers to develop…
January 1, 2018 Individuals with self-experience of mental health difficulties, with a good level of recovery, begin to offer support to service users across the country in a…
February 5, 2018 Establishment of HSE Area Fora the purpose of which is to work collaboratively for improved mental health services across the Community Health Organisation (CHO) through…
March 7, 2018 The Government of Ireland ratifies the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities. Ireland was the last of the 27 EU countries to…
Mental Health Act 2001 implemented
Irish Advocacy Network sanctioned by Minister for Health
Asylum closures continue
Suicide or Survive founded
Health Service Executive (HSE) replaces old Health Boards
Formation of Mental Health Inspectorate
“A Vision for Recovery in Irish Mental Health Services”
A Better Future Now
United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities adopted
“A Vision for Change”
Mental Health Reform formed
Criminal Law Insanity Act (2006) replaces ‘guilty but insane’
Hearing Voices Ireland (HVI) founded
Jigsaw services for young people and families founded
Áras Folláin peer support centre opened in Nenagh
Slí Eile community housing project opens.
The Gateway Project founded
National Strategy for Service User Engagement published
“A Recovery Approach within the Irish Mental Health Services: A Framework for Development” published
The College of Psychiatry of Ireland formed
Joint Working Group on Mental Health Services and the Police
Establishment of Co-operative Learning Programme at DCU
A Good Practice Guide for Mental Health Nurses working with Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual People published
IIMHN produces Position Statement on Advanced Directives
The EOLAS Project
Trialogue begins holding conversations
HSE issues guidance papers for community services development
Closure of St. Brendan’s Hospital, Dublin (opened 1814)
Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) publish guidelines for mental health staff working with the LGBT community
Launch of first Recovery College to deliver co-produced recovery education
ARI Formed
HSE forms Mental Health Listening Meetings
Hearing Voices Network Ireland, peer support for people who hear voices launched in Ireland
HSE Office of Mental Health Engagement established
Mental Health Ireland publish the review of peer-led support in the community
HSE launches ‘Partnership for Change’ report of the Mental Health Reference Group
Office of Mental Health Engagement appoints Area Leads to MH services
IIMHN produce position paper on Trauma Informed Care
Establishment of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Services
Launch of National Framework for Recovery in Mental Health
Peer Support Workers employed by HSE
Establishment of HSE Area Fora
United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities ratified in Ireland