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In October, Headstrong – the National Centre for Youth Mental Health received one million Euro from the HSE to open six new Jigsaw sites in Donegal, Offaly, Clondalkin, Tallaght, North Fingal and Dublin 15. The funding was first announced in Budget 2011 in December 2010. This will allow Headstrong to replicate its already successful Jigsaw model which creates safe spaces in communities where young people can access a wide range of mental health supports for free. Dr. Tony Bates, Founding Director of Headstrong said “This announcement is really significant support for youth mental health. It endorses Headstrong’s work to improve local access to systems and supports for the mental health of Ireland’s young people. Thousands will benefit from talking therapy, individual and family support. Jigsaw also reaches out in its communities to strengthen everyone’s response to mental health needs. A lot of our work rests on capacity building, up skilling professionals and enhancing mental health awareness in the community so that only a tiny percentage of young people require hospitalisation.”

“Headstrong’s relationship with the HSE in terms of growing this model is the seal of approval for Jigsaw as the national standard.” Dr Bates added. “Ireland in 2011 is a much tougher, trickier place to grow up in particularly for a young person with a mental health vulnerability. This is a hopeful step in the right direction. And it’s different because it involves grassroots community supports combined with professionals informed by the end users – young people themselves. This is the start of our journey and ensures that by 2016 every young person will have somewhere to turn to and someone to talk to.”

The Jigsaw Programme was designed by Headstrong and its panel of youth advisors and is an evidence based, integrated model designed to strengthen a community’s capacity to support young people’s mental health. It works on a partnership model of pulling together and aligning all existing resources and expertise in any given community. A total of 16 communities from all over Ireland submitted applications to be selected as Jigsaw projects which were rigorously assessed against key readiness criteria. The remaining 10 communities will all be offered a programme of support.

Speaking at the announcement of the funding in October, Ms Kathleen Lynch, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People, said, “We are very keen to be as proactive as we possibly can in developing and promoting better services to support young people’s mental health. 75% of mental health difficulties emerge before the age of 24. This is a critical period in their development and if we can identify issues as they emerge then research tells us that early and brief intervention prevents people from experiencing lifetimes of pain and lost opportunities.”

Martin Rogan, Assistant National Director of Mental Health at HSE said, “In difficult times we need to innovate and come forward with novel and effective solutions. Jigsaw complements the work we are doing in developing Community Based Mental Health Teams and new facilities. By joining up with the existing local resources we can create clear pathways for young people.”