Limerick to get 24/7 mental health pilot project two years after planned start date
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A 24/7 mental health pilot project will finally be rolled out in Limerick next month — almost two years later than planned.
Specialist gardaí will deal with incidents involving suspected mental ill health, either alone or alongside mental health and addiction professionals, such as a psychiatric nurse or social worker. The team will be known as a Community Access Support Team (CAST).
Currently, a member of An Garda Síochána can make a decision to take a person believed to be suffering from a mental disorder into custody.
The aim of the project is to ensure people with mental health emergencies can get services outside of normal working hours instead of being arrested under mental health legislation.
In January 2022, then Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the pilot was scheduled for Q3/Q4 2022.
However, a Department of Health spokesman has now said: “A new multi-agency CAST (Community Access Support Team) pilot project between An Garda Síochána and the HSE will be launched by Minister (Mary) Butler in Limerick next month, during Mental Health Week.
"This is a new initiative for Ireland and has the potential to make a real difference, as the model has been proven in other countries.”
A Department of Justice spokesman said the project “is not a mental health de-escalation unit but will endeavour to establish an appropriate co-response approach to calls relating to mental health and situational trauma”. He said the pilot will run for 12 months.
Analysis of Pulse incidents in the Limerick garda division from 2019 and 2020 showed 1,035 incidents identified as mental health-related that required gardaí to attend.
Meanwhile, Ms Butler has highlighted serious concerns around mental health challenges facing young people in the LGBTQ+ community.
Research being carried out by BelongTO, an organisation which supports this community, is finding high numbers reporting depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, she said.
“(They found) 39% of all young people in Ireland who identify as trans have attempted suicide. 75% have self-harmed," she told a seminar on reporting of suicide. She added: "That meeting was very, very sobering for me.”