HSE Crisis Resolution Services have commenced implementation – on a pilot basis – within selected HSE Community Mental Health Services across the country. These services will become an integral part of each community Mental Health Service in the future. This is an important step in the journey to provide modern, responsive and fit-for-purpose Mental Health Services.
About Crisis Resolution Services
People who are experiencing a mental health crisis often require specialist services that can provide brief person-centred intensive supports in a timely way. Such specialist services can offer an alternative response to inpatient admission.
The vision for Crisis Resolution Services is ‘to provide integrated Crisis Resolution Services to people referred – with the right response, at the right time, for the right amount of time – to enable and empower them on their recovery journey.’ They will build, increase and enhance the service user’s resilience to enable them to respond to, and manage any current crisis, and any crises that may occur in the future.
Crisis Resolution Services will also enable and support the active involvement of family, carers and significant others.
Components of Crisis Resolution Services
In development, are two components to Crisis Resolution Services:
- Crisis Resolution Teams. Crisis Resolution Teams will be community-based multidisciplinary teams providing rapid assessment and intensive support to people (aged 18 and older) who are in a mental health crisis. Support from these teams will be time-limited and the teams have flexibility to respond to different service user or carer needs, for an average period of up to six weeks. They will use a blended approach to the location of treatment – with a mix of care in the home, community settings or virtually. They will work within extended hours of operation with a shared rota across Multi-disciplinary Teams and will optimally offer a seven-day service.
- Crisis Cafés. Crisis Cafés – called ‘Solace Cafés’ – will provide an out-of-hours friendly and supportive crisis prevention and response service. They will run in partnership with different community agencies across the country. The Cafés will often be open in the evenings and at weekends. They will provide a welcoming, non-clinical, safe environment in the style of a café. People who come to Solace Cafés will be able to learn about coping strategies and access a range of supports – including one-to-one, peer, psychosocial and recovery supports. When appropriate, Café staff will assist people by signposting them to other relevant mental health and well-being services locally.
Current status of Crisis Resolution Services
The Crisis Resolution Services Model of Care was published and formally launched by Minister Mary Butler TD on 26th May 2023. This Model of Care details how Crisis Resolution Services for people over 18 years of age in Ireland should be organised and integrated across health and community services.
The Model of Care will be tested and piloted across five pilot learning sites in CHO 1, CHO 3, CHO 4, CHO 5 and CHO 6. There will be an independent evaluation of the pilot implementation of these services over the testing phase (18 to 24 months) in line with the Standard Operating Procedures and the Model of Care. This evaluation will inform plans to develop Crisis Resolution Services in the future.
Background
The Crisis Resolution Services Model of Care was developed in alignment with recommendations in Sharing the Vision - A Mental Health Policy for Everyone. It arose from the recognition that those experiencing mental health crisis need specialist services to provide brief intensive supports in a timely way to assist the individual service user in their recovery journey.
The development of Crisis Resolution Services is also prioritised:
