Unfortunately, in-person tickets for the “Mental Health
Engagement Conference 2024: Implementing Our Framework” on 5th June are now
sold out. However, due to the large demand for tickets, we have decided to make
the day a hybrid event for people to attend the conference remotely. If you
would like to join us online, please register your attendance using the link
below and you will receive a Webex link to access the conference from the
comfort of your home or office on the day.
Mental Health Engagement involves seeking to understand what
the experience of using mental health services is like for people to then take
concrete, feasible, and practical recommendations to Health Service Executive
management to bring about real-world improvements to how services are provided.
Meaningful Mental Health Engagement is a respectful, dignified, and equitable
process. It uses the perspectives of service users and their family members,
carers, and supporters to make mental health services better.
We have a packed programme of talks, panel discussions, and
interactive workshops for you – all centred around key themes identified by our
Area Leads for Mental Health Engagement following their consultation with their
communities. The themes reflect 3 key areas identified as core concerns for
people:
1.
Crisis Response
2.
Communication, and
3.
Family Involvement,
On 16 April 2024, our new Mental Health Engagement
Framework: 2024 – 2028 was launched by Mary Butler, TD, Minister for Mental
Health and Older Persons. This framework sets out how publicly funded mental
health services in Ireland can be reformed to better consider the perspectives
of people who use and provide these services. The focus of the day will be on
celebrating the value of Lived Experience, generating ideas of how services can
be improved in the 3 priority areas, and consequently implementing our new
framework.
The Keynote Speaker for the day is Prof Peter Beresford OBE.
Peter, from his many years as a mental health service user, academic, writer,
researcher, and activist has been at the very centre of the Lived Experience
social movement in the UK. This movement has sought to directly challenge
psychiatric stigma by advocating for people who use mental health services and
their supporters to be able to shape the mental health system. We are confident
that Peter’s talk on how ‘Lived Experience Is Everybody's Business’ will be
thought provoking and inspiring.
Please see below the programme for the day. We look forward
to hopefully seeing you then.
Aims of the day:
1.
To celebrate the value of Lived Experience in shaping mental health services,
2.
To generate ideas of how services can be improved in 3 priority areas (Crisis
Response, Communication, and Family Involvement), and
3.
To reflect on how best to implement our new Engagement framework as a
community.
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
MORNING
10 am ‘Conference registration, tea, coffee, pastries, and
networking’
10.30 am ‘Welcome address’ from Dervila Eyres (Assistant
National Director, HSE Head of Operations Mental Health)
10.50 am ‘Keynote Talk: Lived Experience Is Everybody's
Business’ from Prof. Peter Beresford OBE (Visiting Professor in the University
of East Anglia and Co-Chair Shaping Our Lives: the UK disabled people's and
user led organisation).
11.20 am ‘Brief overview of new Enhancing Engagement
Framework’ from Jacopo Villani (Programme Manager, Mental Health Engagement and
Recovery)
BREAK
11.30 am Stretch break and networking.
12 pm Videos and Panel Discussion: Crisis Response,
Communication, and Family Involvement
Panel chair: Sean O'Connell (Area Lead for Mental Health
Engagement, National Forensic Mental Health Service).
Panel members:
•
Lisa O’Leary (Volunteer from the National Lived Experience Panel)
•
Michelle Catherine Butler (HSE General Manager Mental Health Strategy and
Planning)
•
Joanne O’Meadhra (Person who has Used Services)
•
Roisin O’Meadhra (Family Member Representative)
•
Michael Ryan (Head of National Office of Mental Health Engagement and Recovery)
•
Margaret Duggan (Family Member Representative)
•
Sorcha Griffith (Senior Social Worker)
•
Dr Donal O’Keeffe (Recovery Coordinator, Family Member Representative, and
Person who has Used Services)
LUNCH
1 pm Lunch
AFTERNOON
2 pm ‘Interactive Workshops’ for all attendees, to discuss
potential solutions to issues raised, facilitated by Area Leads for Mental
Health Engagement.
3 pm Sharing with all attendees a summary of recommendations
arising from workshops and next steps.
3.20 pm ‘Review of the day’ from Michael Ryan (Head of
National Office of Mental Health Engagement and Recovery).
End 3.30 pm.
