Nicene – The Government intends to ensure all young people will have access to mental health professionals and facilities should they need it, was the message coming from Minister for Mental Health Eric Crowley yesterday evening. Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists in the city of Nicene, Minister Crowley announced that the Government would make a greater allocation of resources to mental health services and that the upcoming Budget would reflect that.
Crowley in his speech acknowledged the fact that the rate of suicide and suicidal ideation was an an “alarming increase” among young people, particularly young men. He told those gathered that he would be asking the Prime Minister to pass legislation bringing the Ministry of Mental Health, created this year under the auspices of the Department of Health, also under the purview of the Department of Education & Science so that his ministry could more adequately work within the Sanctarian education system.
When pushed on point he made speech by members of the ACaP in a Q&A after, Crowley said that while specifics still had to be ironed out and that estimates of costing and legislation had to be drafted, it was his intention to see every school district “at the least” hiring a counsellor for their pupils, and his own personal preference would be for every school itself to have their own dedicated counsellor for students. He said that in a more general sense he would like to see mental health clinics opened that would be provided for free for those under the age of 18 and that he would be looking at his Ministry’s budget, as well as liaising with other government agencies, to see where best these clinics could be places. He said he hoped to see one incorporated into every hospital and “areas where there is no hospital, I would like to see GP surgeries hosting mental health clinics on a frequent basis”.
ROBYN GRAY, Health Correspondent
