CAMHS: MHC urging parents and young people to help shape new national standards

The MHC is urging parents, families and young people to help them shape new national standards for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

The MHC has this morning launched a six-week public consultation to inform their development of dedicated CAMHS standards - the first in the history of the State – that will support greater safety, quality and consistency in how care and treatment are delivered in inpatient and community CAMHS services across the country. 

The purpose of this consultation is to seek feedback on the first draft of the standards, and to support the MHC to identify key areas for further development and refinement. In particular, the MHC is seeking feedback from children, young people, parents, families and carers, as well as professionals working in CAMHS, including multidisciplinary team members, advocates and peer supporters, and providers of mental health services. 

All responses to the consultation will be carefully considered and will inform the finalisation of the standards later this year, and the development of associated Codes of Practice under the Mental Health Act 2026. 

This process is supported by a muti-faceted consultative approach which includes an in-depth evidence review, consultation with children and young people, advice from an expert advisory group, and input from the MHC’s expert-by-experience forum. 

The Chief Executive of the Mental Health Commission, John Farrelly, said: “We are urging parents, families and young people from right across the State to read these draft standards and provide their feedback. Their experiences and views will be central to shaping CAMHS standards that uphold dignity, autonomy and human rights, and help ensure that children and young people across Ireland can access high-quality mental health care."

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are specialist mental health services that provide care and treatment for children and young people experiencing moderate to severe mental illness. The Mental Health Act 2026 establishes a comprehensive legal framework for CAMHS, modernising mental health law to ensure that children and young people receive high-quality, rights-based care that upholds their dignity, autonomy and human rights. 

Under the new legislation, community-based CAMHS will be regulated by the Mental Health Commission. 

The draft standards for CAMHS are divided into eight parts and include around 70 standard statements which describe what high quality CAMHS services should look like in 2026 and beyond.

The standard statements contain a high-level outcome statement describing the result or impact that should be achieved for children and young people, while the sub-statements provide more detail about how service providers can achieve compliance with these outcomes. The consultation invites feedback on the content, including how clear and easy to understand it is, as well as suggestions to improve it. The MHC is especially interested in whether respondents think anything important is missing, or whether any standards should be highlighted more or explained more clearly. 

Interested parties can complete the survey by clicking on the link: New draft standards for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Public Consultation | Mental Health Commission.

The consultation will begin on Monday, 13 July and close at 5pm on 21 August.