CAMHS Inpatient Units are known as Approved Centres and they are registered, regulated and inspected by the Mental Health Commission. This means CAMHS Inpatient Units are subject to the Mental Health Act, 2001, as amended, corresponding regulations, and the Mental Health Commission Codes of Practice.
There are regulatory requirements relating to:
- care and treatment
- the facility and premises
- staffing
- governance.
In line with the Health Service Executive Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Operational Guidelines (2nd Version) (2019), Linn Dara Approved Centre provides assessment and treatment to children and adolescents with severe and complex mental illness.
What we do
Linn Dara Approved Centre is a Health Service Executive funded and run service. We provide acute, emergency and specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health services on a tertiary basis.
Linn Dara Approved Centre is a 24 bedded centre which is divided into three units, Rowan, Oak and Hazel.
Rowan and Hazel both consist of 11 individual beds and Oak unit has two beds which provide high dependency observation and care.
Acute / Emergency Psychiatry Beds (14 Beds)
Linn Dara Approved Centre acute and emergency beds provide very specialised services in a residential and inpatient setting. The services are for children and adolescents with severe or complex mental illness requiring a combination of intense interventions and supervision that cannot be provided by community and outpatient services.
Specialist Eating Disorder Beds (8 Beds)
Linn Dara Approved Centre has 8 specialist eating disorder beds (SEDBs).
Eating disorders are serious mental disorders with high levels of physical and psychological comorbidity, disability and mortality.
Linn Dara Approved Centre provides level 4 care and treatment for children and adolescents with severe and complex eating disorders. Level 4 is described in the HSE Model of Care for Eating Disorders, as the most intensive treatment setting.
These include:
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia Nervosa
- ARFID
- OSFED
- UFED.
High Dependency Unit (HDU) Beds (2 Beds)
Some children and young people may present with a level of risk and complexity that makes it hard to manage their presentation safely and effectively in our acute service/beds.
Our HDU offers increased numbers of specialist nursing staff with an environment adapted to manage higher levels of risk and behaviour. Following admission or transfer to HDU, our specialist multidisciplinary team will work closely with the young person and their family to develop specific care plans. These are to effectively manage risk, in the least restrictive manner, whilst treating the underlying mental illness.
Who we support
Linn Dara Approved Centre works with young people who are struggling with their mental health, they may have become isolated or are finding it hard to cope with everyday life.
Mental illness can present with many symptoms some of which include anxiety, depression, self-injury, psychosis and eating difficulties. However, sometimes young people come to Linn Dara Approved Centre because it is not known what the specific problem is at that time.
Acceptance by Linn Dara Approved Centre for admission is always via an Access Assessment.
Access Assessment considers the goals of admission and any potential risks or benefits. This includes whether the young person's or child's needs could be better met by alternative services such as outpatient or home treatment services.
Our Approach
Linn Dara Approved Centre is set up to be a supportive, structured and therapeutic environment.
The service provides a safe environment coupled with therapeutic interventions.
The focus of the service is the rehabilitation of young people with severe, complex and enduring mental health needs. These often co-exist with a significant level of social difficulties, risk to themselves and possibly a risk to others. The service is not a substitute for community services where the majority of young people receive the assessments, care and support required to recovery from mental illness or psychiatric disorders.
We work closely with local professionals from your local CAMHS team and other local services, to plan safe and timely discharges to the community, where possible.
Services Provided
Linn Dara Approved Centre provides services on a regional and national remit. Our primary catchment area is Community Healthcare Organisations 6, 7 and CHO 8 (partial).
This means Linn Dara Approved Centre has a primary catchment area of:
- Dublin south-west
- Dublin south city,
- Dublin south-east
- Dún Laoghaire
- Kildare,
- Wicklow,
- Laois,
- Offaly
- Longford
- Westmeath.
We work with the other specialist inpatient mental health services to provide services on a national basis as the need arises and where clinically appropriate.
The unit provides intensive 24-hour supervision which can assist in the assessment and treatment for young people with mental illness or psychiatric disorder, for whom enhanced community treatment is no longer viable or safe. This can include young people or children detained under the Mental Health Act.
A young person’s length of stay on the Linn Dara Approved Centre is around four to six weeks but this will vary depending on the individual’s needs. Sometimes shorter (a couple of days) and sometimes longer (several months).
Interventions may include:
- MDT Assessment and Interventions.
- Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT).
- Family therapy.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
- Attachment therapy.
- Creative therapies (Art Therapy, Play Therapy, Drama Therapy, Yoga/Pilates).
- Nursing / OT / SLT / Social Work / Psychiatry-Medical / Psychology / Dietitian / Social Care.
- Psychotherapy.
- Trauma-Informed approaches to work/therapy.
- On-site School (Linn Dara School).
- Meal coaching and Meal Support.
- Mindfulness.
- Carers / Parents Support Groups.
