Talks arranged this week to provide new mental health service in Waterford city
Waterford Disability Network discuss new mental health services
Talks are due to take place this week, which could finalise the addition of new mental health services in Waterford City.
Waterford Disability Network have received a proposal from the HSE to set up a non-clinical call-in centre at their building on New Street.
The centre would provide a day service for patients to call in and speak to someone and it could be run five days a week.
Also planned is the provision of a ‘Crisis Café’ running from Thursday to Sunday, for people to self-refer themselves and meet with medical staff for help and advice.
Involved in the talks is Cllr John Hearne, who said that the facility would be a vitally important advance to mental health services in Waterford.
“We provisionally agreed to take it on, pending clarifications with the HSE this week. It will be the biggest advance in mental health services in Waterford in a generation.
“Waterford Disability Network are hoping to set up the drop-in centre in the day-time, which would be non-clinical, meaning the people could come in and sit on sofas and talk in a conversational way about their issues.
“Then from Thursday to Sunday we would have a crisis café with three full-time professionals, so if a person has a crisis, they can self-refer themselves and call in.
“This would be a great help to take the pressure off other services in Waterford."
Cllr Hearne said that discussions will take place this Wednesday to get the project over the line.
"We're up for it, but we just need to meet the conditions with the HSE, because we are a voluntary group at the end of the day."
He added: “Every Tuesday morning I look at the papers and I see another young person dead or a loss of life through suicide. You see that and ask what can be done. This is what can be done.
“So this week we’ll go with our heart in hand and say let’s get this done for the people who are really in distress. We believe it would be the best advance in mental health services in 20 years in Waterford.”
