Guidance for Irish mental health services on the adoption and implementation of a human rights-based approach to care and treatment
The guidance sets out clear and practical steps to address issues, such as reducing coercive practices, strengthening informed consent, ensuring equal access to services, and supporting cultural and community inclusion.
We published national guidance for all Irish mental health services, setting out how a human rights-based approach must become the foundation of care and treatment across the sector.
The new guidance follows an extensive consultation process involving over 350 service users, families, carers, and staff. It presents key concepts, including human rights principles and instruments, as well as practical guidance for embedding a human rights approach in mental health services.
It also introduces the RIGHTS framework, a practical tool that includes key themes such as inclusion, dignity and person-centred care that can be used to explore essential considerations and actions for implementing a human rights approach within services.
We have also developed an online training module to reinforce the guidance in this document and support the establishment of a human rights approach to mental health service provision and can be accessed on HSeLanD.
