Primary Mental Health Care Part 3: Demonstration of a Proposed New Model for Primary Mental Health Care

Abstract

The current primary mental health care system in Ireland is limited. A different vision of primary mental health care requires national awareness of the limitations of ‘A Vision for Change’1 and it’s followed up policy document, ‘Sharing the Vision’.2 Awareness alone is insufficient, requiring the additional properties of ambition, conviction, and engagement to overhaul the current system. In this third paper on Primary Mental Health Care, a truly changed vision of care is presented and demonstrated to be successfully at work in one third level counseling service, at the University of Limerick. This model is contrasted with the current medicalized model and proposed as a replacement model of primary mental health care for Ireland. A number of recommendations are made, including the suggestions that the proposed model of service delivery based on the model at the University of Limerick be piloted outside of the third level sector, within the Health Service Executive of Ireland.