A modern-day Mayo Mental health service describes a spectrum of services that extends from positive mental health to severe and disabling mental illness. The goal of modern 21st Century mental health services is also to promote the mental health of our population in collaboration with other services. The services work closely with various agencies such as Mental Health Mayo, Mindspace, Aware, Grow, Dolmen Club, Shine and agencies, including reducing the loss of life by suicide. Mayo Mental Health service services recognise that investment in community-level supports and interventions improves health outcomes for all populations. They also provide access to talk therapies and signpost services through their website, WestBeWell and other social media sites.
At this time, most people within the county can have their mental health problems treated by their GP and referred to Mayo Mental Health Services if symptoms become severe. Mayo Mental health services provide a wide range of community and hospital-based mental health services, and these services have seen dramatic changes and developments over the past 150 years. These changes continued down through the years as we moved from the traditional hospital/institutional model to providing more care in communities and in clients’ own homes. A modern Mayo Mental Health Services comprises an acute inpatient unit and community-based mental health teams (Child and Adolescent Mental Health, General Adult, Mental health of Intellectual Disability and Psychiatry of Old Age). They also provide day hospitals, training centres, out-patient clinics, continuing care settings and community residential services. They also offer certain sub-specialities within the main specialities, including rehabilitation and recovery, liaison psychiatry, perinatal psychiatry, and memory assessment, are provided.
The community-based mental health services are coordinated and delivered through Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs), designed to serve the needs of particular care groups across the lifespan from childhood to later life. Within this multidisciplinary team, a range of skilled professionals, e.g. Medical, Nursing, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Social workers, Pharmacists, Dietician and support staff who combine their unique expertise to provide integrated care to service users in the context of their local community. The services are now based on clinical excellence and a belief that all people can recover from mental illness. The services are also based on a recovery framework that includes clinical and personal recovery for those who experience mental ill-health.
The lived experience and insights of people with mental health issues and their families are also at the heart of the services. It centres on the aspirations and needs of people with mental ill-health. In that regard, the services have an Area Lead for Mental Health Engagement and Recovery. Mayo Mental Health services also employ peer support workers, family peer support workers, and education staff who have lived experience and deliver recovery education for staff and the general population through Recovery College Mayo GMIT.