Youth Work & Mental Health Issues

1. Youth Work & Mental Health Issues
Presented by:
Maurice Walsh (Youthwork Manager)
Áine Sage (Learner with Limerick Youth Service)
7th April 2016

2. About Limerick Youth Service
Mission Statement: “To support and encourage young people to be active participants in shaping
their futures”
 Integrated Youth Service founded in 1973, affiliated to Youth Work Ireland with collective representation and negotiation
with a range of groups.
 4000+ young people across Limerick access : Youth Cafes, Youth Clubs, Garda Youth Diversion projects (GYDP),
Youth & Family Support Projects, Special projects for youth (SPY), Youth participation initiatives, International youth
work opportunities, Counselling, Vocational Training & Education.
 Recognised as being capable of enagaging young people with complex needs and issues and those disaffected from
their community (homeless, significant mental health issues/suicidal ideation/self-harm, involved in criminal and
anti-social behaviour).
 Proven track record and reputation for successful engagement with Travellers,young people in direct provision and
migrant communities.
 Rooted in communities with strong local relationships – the “go to” Organisation by young people, families, GP’s,
Politicians, Service providers.

4. LYS approach to Youth Mental Health
• Young people are the experts on their own mental health - never assume that everything is right with a young person
yet never assume there is something wrong.
• Offer preventative and interventionist approaches to youth mental health.
• Offer safe spaces where young people can participate as they feel comfortable in a range of programmes and
activities, reducing stigma around Youth Mental health (in all aspects of the LYS model of youth work).
• Encourage young people to share their Mental health experiences in safe environments that can help shape future
policy and practice.
• Offer opportunities to all young people to express themselves through various youth-led initiatives.
• Create opportunities for active engagement between young people and youth worker, sometimes leading to an
introduction to a counsellor.
• Facilitate young people to meet with a counsellor (in a youth space) used to working with young people and flexible in
their approach.
• Lead/participate in Meitheal (National practice model) where young person is placed at the centre and agencies
intervene to support the young person & family around presenting issues (www.health.gov.ie/meitheal).

5. LYS Youth Mental Health Initiatives 2015
• Youth Mental Health Worker (JobBridge Intern) working to support mental wellbeing through focused
groups and engagement in national campaigns.
• Psychotherapist (funded by HSE Drug & Alcohol Services 4 days per week) and Counsellor specifically
for Community Training Centre (funded by DES under National Youthreach Programme 2 days per wk)
focus mainly on strengths based counselling .
• Promotion of positive mental health through Youth Cafés and Youth Information and Communications.
• Advocate for and with young people through Comhairle na nÓg (Youth Parliament and Youth
Participation initatives.
• Presentation to Minister Kathleen Lynch (Junior Health Minister with Mental Health brief) leading to
funding being secured for dedicated Youth Mental Health initiative.

6. Express Yourself
• Express Yourself group established for young people aged 14-19 to address both individual & collective needs of young
people as identified by members (including LGBT, body image, grief & loss, drugs & alcohol misuse).
• Collaboration with GOSHH on LBGT issues, participation in Limerick Pride Parade, support re sexual orientation &
identity.
• Engagement with young people from Comhairle na nÓg (Youth Council) helping them plan & deliver Let’s Go Mental
(Nationwide campaign to promote positive mental health in young people
• Young people participated in See Change Green Ribbon events sparking conversations aimed at reducing stigma
associated with mental health and raising the awareness of mental health related issues.
• Limerick Mental Health Awareness Week: young people participated in activities ranging from Be Youth Self , youth led
celebration of World Mental Health Day .
• Input to Samaritans volunteer training to enable trainers to gain a better understanding of self harm amongst young
people.
• Mobilise the Youth Vote: youth-led panel discussion with politicians Nov 2015 following which Deputy Dan Neville
raised in our National Parliament (Dáil) the lack of regional and young person specific Mental Health services meaning a
young person has to be hospitalised in adult services in Dublin.

7. Counselling Approaches
• Strengths based approach to empower young people.
• Brief interventions and group work supports to young people with a range of presenting issues
including substance misuse and mental health and wellbeing.
• Meet young people in buildings/areas that they are familiar with and comfortable in.
 Referrals come from youth worker who introduces young person to counsellor at first
session.
• Provide young people with the tools necessary to identify when they need help and support
them to do so.

8. Regional & National Issues
• Mental health is the number one concern for young people in Ireland today.
• 75% of all adult mental health difficulties arise before the age of 24, yet mental health services are often difficult to
access or simply don’t work for our young people.
• Rate of deliberate self harm in Limerick City is double the National average for both genders.
• Increasing demand for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Ireland with 2,541 children and
adolescents on waiting list.
• (My World 2012) found that almost 30% of the 14,500 surveyed self reported levels of depression and anxiety which fell
within the mild to severe range.
• Grief and loss identified as a serious issue amongst young people involved with LYS.

9. Many thanks for your attention
Questions?