‘Sharing the Vision - A Mental Health Policy for Everyone’ is Ireland’s national mental health policy. It was published in June 2020.
It is a policy framework for the continued development and enhancement of mental health services in Ireland from 2020 to 2030. It replaces the previous policy, ‘A Vision for Change’.
Download ‘Sharing the Vision - A Mental Health Policy for Everyone’ (PDF, 4.77MB, 120 pages)
Implementation plan
Implementing the recommendations in the policy is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and a priority for the Department of Health and the HSE.
The ‘Sharing the Vision Implementation Plan 2022 to 2024’ provides a high-level description of intended outputs between 2022 to 2024. Further implementation plans will be developed for 2025 to 2027 and 2028 to 2030.
Download ‘Sharing the Vision Implementation Plan 2022 to 2024' (PDF, 1.44MB, 136 pages)
Roadmap for change
The Sharing the Vision policy focuses on outcomes and adopts a lifecycle approach. This places the individual at the centre of service delivery at different stages of life.
It also aims to enhance the provision of services and supports across a continuum of care, including:
- mental health promotion
- prevention and early intervention
- acute and specialist mental health services
Intended outcomes
Some of the intended outcomes are:
- the creation of a mental health system that focuses on the requirements of the individual
- the development and delivery of a range of integrated activities to promote positive mental health in the community
- increased participation of service users, families, carers and supporters in the design of mental health services
- the enhanced provision of accessible, comprehensive and community-based mental health services
- enhanced capacity of primary care services to respond to mental health needs, in which specialist mental health services are not required
Service delivery principles
The policy reinforces the following service delivery principles:
- Recovery
- Trauma-informed
- Human rights
- Partnership
- Valuing and learning
Oversight
The National Implementation Monitoring Committee (NIMC) was established in December 2020. The committee takes a ‘whole-of-government’ approach towards implementing the recommendations and monitoring progress. This involves government departments, agencies, service providers and other stakeholders working together in a coordinated way.
Progress has been made in creating governance and implementation sub-structures. These will help to implement the recommendations and monitor progress.
Governance structures
The HSE has primary responsibility for implementing the majority of the recommendations.
The HSE Implementation Group (HIG) reports to the NIMC. It was established in May 2021 to progress implementing the recommendations.
For each recommendation, an implementation lead is responsible for achieving the recommendation actions.
The partners taking a lead include:
- the Department of Health
- HSE Mental Health Services
- HSE Community Operations
- other departments within the HSE and other government bodies
What has been achieved
Specialist groups have been set up to progress recommendations for:
- youth mental health transitions
- acute bed capacity
- women’s mental health
- 2 other specialist groups are being set up to progress the recommendations for:
- primary care
- digital mental health
An independent reference group of service users, family members and friends has been set up. This is to make sure these groups are included and involved in the design of mental health services.
Further information about Sharing the Vision (gov.ie)
Further information of the NIMC, including minutes of meetings and Sharing the Vision Reports
Contact
Email: sharingthevision@hse.ie
