10 May 2022
A newly formed Strategic Advisory Panel (SAP) made up of young people, parents, carers, and professionals, to offer advice and support on mental health, will be launched during Mental Health Awareness Week 9-15 May.
The new group will advise on the delivery of the Children and Young People's Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy 2022-2025 over the next four years.
The panel of 14 young people, parents, professionals and Islanders, with an interest in mental health and wellbeing, will be introduced at a conference hosted by the Lieutenant-Governor, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton and the Jersey Community Partnership Group, at Jersey Zoo, tomorrow.
Islanders are being asked to look out for one another and understand that 'mental health is everybody's business' during Mental Health Awareness Week.
Based on international prevalence data, it is estimated that 1 in 6 children, aged five to sixteen years old and 1 in 5 seventeen- to twenty-two-year-olds, in Jersey, are likely to have a mental health disorder.
Director General for Children, Young People, Education, and Skills, Rob Sainsbury, said: "Over the past few years there has been an increase in both demand for mental health services and an increase in complexity of need, which we believe to be exacerbated by the pandemic. There has been an increase in referrals to both the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and the Youth Enquiry Service (YES).
"The Children and Young People Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy has been co-produced with children, young people, parents, carers, and professionals and its implementation will be overseen by this newly created Strategic Advisory Panel (SAP). I would like to thank the panel for committing to this important piece of work and helping us with our vision for all children and young people in Jersey to be happy and thriving and to able to enjoy the best mental health and wellbeing."
The Government has responded to the increase in demand for mental health support by:
- Commissioning Kooth online counselling and support for 10–25-year-olds which now has over 850 people registered via Kooth.com
- Setting up a new well-being drop which is every Saturday from 10am-6pm where children, young people, parents and carers can come along to find out more about wellbeing services and speak in confidence to a mental health practitioner or counsellor
- Working with providers to reduce autism assessment waiting times (22 months 2020, now 3 months wait)
- Redesigning and increasing capacity in the CAMHS team including all referrals now coming via the Children and Families Hub and setting up new duty and assessment, early intervention and quality assurance teams in addition to the specialist CAMHS team
- Partnering with the Anna Freud Centre to review and improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people in the Island.
For more information visit www.gov.je/CYPMentalHealth.
gov.je