Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2023
99. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education to outline the work completed to date under the pilot programme of counselling and wellbeing/mental health supports in schools; her Department's plans for the programme going forward; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31607/23]
View answerThe Department of Education is committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of our children and I was delighted to announce the establishment of a programme of counselling and mental health supports to be piloted in a number of primary schools from September 2023. Strand 1 of the pilot was announced on the 31st of May and Strand 2 on the 22nd of June.
Strand 1 will see the provision of one-to-one counselling to support some children in counties Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan and Tipperary. Schools were advised by letter of this exciting new initiative on June 1st, and invited to an online meeting with NEPS on the 27th June for further information. This meeting was well attended, with positive engagement from school principals who were assured of continuing NEPS support for them as the pilot is implemented.
Considerable work has been undertaken and will continue to roll this new pilot programme out. My Department will establish county panels of pre-approved experienced counsellors to work in the selected schools for the duration of the pilot. The counsellors will be accredited members of either the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP) or the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP). Further to initial engagement with these bodies and a survey of their members, the Department has sought applications from suitable candidates from these 3 bodies for inclusion on the panels. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) will provide a strong induction programme to familiarise the counsellors on the panel with the education sector.
In line with the Department’s Continuum of Support, a child will be prioritised for counselling following a period of school-based intervention, with evidence that, despite intervention, the child has not made adequate progress. Psychologists from NEPS will work with schools to identify and support the prioritisation of those most in need of access to this counselling support.
Strand 2 will see the establishment of a new type of support from Education Wellbeing/Mental Health Teams for clusters of primary schools. This Strand will also see the introduction of Education Wellbeing/Mental Health Practitioners, who will work as part of a team under the direction and supervision of NEPS. 78 schools across Cork, Dublin 7, Dublin 16 and Carlow have been contacted by letter advising that they have been included in Strand 2 of the pilot.
The focus of the support to be provided under Strand 2 is on strengthening whole school preventative approaches. This includes the provision of psycho-education support for parents and teachers, and the provision of early intervention to groups of children or individual children with mild/emerging need, using low-level therapeutically-informed approaches.
The Department will partner with Cork Education and Training Board in the recruitment of Psychology, Social Care or Education graduates for the role of Education Wellbeing / Mental Health Practitioners for this pilot. These graduates will require additional training which will be provided by NEPS psychologists and their ongoing work in schools will be under the close supervision of NEPS. Each team will comprise one NEPS psychologist and four Education Wellbeing/Mental Health Practitioners. The Practitioners will work as part of a Wellbeing and Mental Health Support Team in the four cluster areas.
This pilot will build on existing good practice, guidance and supports currently available in the system. It will complement ongoing work and resources to support children’s mental health and wellbeing that is provided in schools by the Department’s support services and NEPS, as well as the wider mental health supports available to children and young people through the health services.
The scheme is not a substitute for services provided by HSE Primary Care Psychology or CAMHS. NEPS have liaised with the HSE in relation to the development of the pilot and will continue to do so throughout the pilot.
An evaluation of the pilot will be carried out and I am confident that we will take valuable learnings from this pilot.
