Youth Mental Health Signposting Tool
What is it?
The youth mental health signposting tool aims to provide young people, parents, caregivers, and those working with young people, with reliable up to date information on where to access supports and services at both a local and national level for a variety of mental health issues.
To use it, simply select the issue affecting your mental health or the mental health of the young person you are supporting and the area in which you live.
Services
You can narrow your search by choosing a region, a service offered, or both.
Bandon Family Centre
Bandon Family Centre is in the heart of the community of Bandon and serves the town and surrounding areas. The FRC works with communities and individuals to improve outcomes around children’s education, youth development and parent and family support. The FRC offers a low-cost counselling service as well as play/art therapy along with an extensive range of other supports & services.
Barnardos
Barnardos mission is to deliver services and work with families, communities, and partners to transform the lives of vulnerable children who are affected by adverse childhood experiences. The organisation offers a wide range of supports and programmes to children and young people aged 0–18, through services and projects throughout the country. Barnardos has a range of services available to young people and families nationally, details of their centres can be accessed here https://www.barnardos.ie/about-us/find-a-service/
Barnardos Cork
Barnardos mission is to deliver services and work with families, communities, and partners to transform the lives of vulnerable children who are affected by adverse childhood experiences. The organisation offers a wide range of supports and programmes to children and young people aged 0–18, through services and projects throughout the country. Barnardos has a range of services available to young people and families in the Cork area through their base in Cork City. As well as the regional office in Cork city, Barnardos also operate in a number of other locations in county Cork, a list of which is available here https://www.barnardos.ie/about-us/find-a-service/
Barnardos Wexford
Barnardos mission is to deliver services and work with families, communities, and partners to transform the lives of vulnerable children who are affected by adverse childhood experiences. The organisation offers a wide range of supports and programmes to children and young people aged 0–18, through services and projects throughout the country.
Barnardos has a range of services available to young people and families in County Wexford. Details of Branrdos in Wexford are available here https://www.barnardos.ie/about-us/find-a-service/
Barnardos- Clonmel Family Support Project
Part of national service providing supports to children and families around Ireland. Based within the communit and provides supports to families experiencing difficulties. Provides education support services for children and young people, aids young people to improve their self-esteem and make positive life choices, provides education services to parents or carers, working alongside families experiencing difficulties, works in supporting parents to positively influence their child’s life.
Barnardos- Dublin City and County
Barnardos mission is to deliver services and work with families, communities, and partners to transform the lives of vulnerable children who are affected by adverse childhood experiences. The organisation offers a wide range of supports and programmes to children and young people aged 0–18, through services and projects throughout the country. Barnardos has a range of services available to young people and families in the greater Dublin area through their base in Dublin City. As well as the regional office in Dublin city, Barnardos also operate in several other locations throughout Dublin, a list of which is available here https://www.barnardos.ie/about-us/find-a-service/
Barnardos- Wicklow
Barnardos mission is to deliver services and work with families, communities, and partners to transform the lives of vulnerable children who are affected by adverse childhood experiences. The organisation offers a wide range of supports and programmes to children and young people aged 0–18, through services and projects throughout the country.
Barnardos has a range of services available to young people and families in County Wicklow. Details of Branrdos in Wicklow are available here https://www.barnardos.ie/about-us/find-a-service/
Beacon Of Light Counsellin Servive
Offers low cost, affordable counselling to children aged 7+, adolescents and adults. Provides one to one counselling, group and family counselling. Also offers self improvement workshops
Beara West Family Resource Centre
Beara West Family Resource Centre (FRC) on the Beara Peninsula and the geographical area covering Rossmackowen, Castletownbere, Bere Island, Eyeries, Urhan, Kilcatherine, Killmacowen, Allihies, Garnish and Cahermore. The FRC works with communities and individuals to improve outcomes around children’s education, youth development and parent and family support. The FRC offers a low-cost counselling service along with a range of other supports & services.
Nationwide Services
Teen Line
The ISPCC operates Teenline, a national active listening service for children and young people up to the age of 18 in Ireland.
Teenline can be contacted 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by calling 1800 833 634.
The service is free to contact and is confidential, non-directive and non-judgmental
The Irish Aftercare Network
The Irish Aftercare Network provides advice and support to people working with care leavers in Ireland. This service is available to people aged 18+ that have left care.
Turn2Me
Turn2Me provides an online 3 tiered approach to supporting mental well-being to people aged 18 years and over. It includes an online Self Help programme, Peer Support through online support groups, and Professional Support in the form of free online counselling. This online counselling is also free to Irish citizens living abroad.
Twxt About It- 50808
Text About It is a free, anonymous, 24/7 messaging service providing everything from a calming chat to immediate support for mental health and wellbeing.
Text About It provides a safe space where you’re listened to by a trained volunteer. You’ll message back and forth, only sharing what you feel comfortable with. By asking questions, listening to you and responding with support, they will help you sort through your feelings until you both feel you are now in a calm, safe place
Walk In My Shoes
Walk in My Shoes (WIMS) is the flagship awareness-raising and education campaign of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS).
They run a number of campaigns and events throughout the year to promote positive mental health, and there are tonnes of ways that teachers and students can get involved, spark conversation, tackle stigma and foster wellbeing.
Key activities include the following-
Working to promote positive mental health, to tackle mental health stigma and to change how people, particularly young people, think about mental health.
They offer free wellbeing resources for:
• young people
• parents and guardians
• primary school and secondary school teachers to use in the classroom.
Youth Advocate Programme (YAP) Ireland
The Youth Advocate Programme (YAP) provide intensive, needs-led, wraparound, focused support to children, young people and families who are struggling with a range of issues in their lives. YAP Ireland matches community-based advocates with those referred, leading to more positive engagement and outcomes. The organisation has a disability and mental health intensive support service that provides a 12-month programme to young people aged 8 – 18 years and their families who require support in achieving their goals. The Independent Advocacy Service is provided to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and adolescent in-patient units. A Crisis Intervention service is also available for young people at particular risk. YAP is a nationwide service operating in 22 counties from their 5 centres, details of which can be found here https://yapireland.ie/contact-yap-ireland/
The development of the YMHS tool
In 2015, the NYHP recognised the need to capture the voice of the sector in more depth through a rapid mental health needs assessment. One of the key findings from the Mental Health Needs Assessment was the need to support organisations, practitioners, and young people to access appropriate services. The Youth Mental Health Signposting tool was developed in response to this need.
The tool was revamped in 2024 to meet the emerging needs being communicated to the NYHP by Youth Workers and other professionals through consultation and engagement in the programme’s training and workshops.
We endeavour to keep this tool up to date. However, we are aware that new services and initiatives are being developed and launched all the time.
If you have a new service or an existing one not currently on the tool that you believe should be included, please add your information below.
Many thanks
The National Youth Health Programme would like to acknowledge the time, input and resources provided by a range of organsiations which contributed to the development of Youth Mental Health Signposting tool.
Disclaimer
The content of Youth Mental Health Signposting is provided for information purposes only. The National Youth Council of Ireland is not responsible for any interaction or outcomes between a client and a service provider listed. The NYCI does not endorse any professional or programme included in it map.