Local communities must be at ‘heart of efforts to tackle mental health crisis’

Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy said more action to address the ‘mental health crisis’ in the north is urgently needed. Mr. Delargy has been newly elected as chair of the Assembly Body.

He said the voices of people working on the ground are ‘vital to helping shape services going forward’.

“I will immediately work to change how the APG on mental health currently functions to place it at the heart of communities to hear directly from people involved in delivering services. It’s vital that decision makers hear, and learn from, the lived experiences of those working every single day to support people, deliver services and promote good mental health. They must be at the centre of shaping services and how they are run in the future.

“We are currently experiencing a mental health crisis in the north with increasing numbers of people, young and old, waiting on mental health support. We need an Executive up and running now so that we can work together with others to secure a three-year Budget and invest an additional £1 billion in health, including funding for mental health services,” he said.