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.
Arklow Springboard Family Support Service

Arklow Springboard Family and Support Service are part of the Daughters of Charity Child and Family Service. They use a ‘meitheal’ approach (community based approach) to supporting individuals. They have a project worker to support families and also provide individual therapeutic support for young people if needed. They work specifically with individuals engaged with drug misuse and teen parents.
Artane Coolock Family Resource Centre

Artane/Coolock Family Resource Centre is a registered charity based in Artane and serve the communities of Coolock and Artane and surrounding areas. Artane/Coolock FRC works with communities and individuals to improve outcomes around children’s education, youth development and parent and family support. The centre offers a low-cost counselling service and a play therapy service for children.
AsIAm

AsIAm is Irelands autism charity. They offer a rang of supports and resources for young people with autism and their family/carers on their website. They also offer an autism information line each Monday to Thursday 10 am to 3 pm @ 0818 234 234, email support can also be accessed at support@asiam.ie. They also offer talks, training and programmes to upskill professionals working with young people with autism.
Aspen Counselling Services Lucan Ltd.

Low cost counselling service based in the heart of Lucan, working with over 40 therapists offering a variety of counselling for adults, teens, families and children.
Aspens Counselling and Family Life Centre

Provides afforable counselling for various issues including adolescent counselling, addictions, childhood trauma, emotional crisis, depression, anxiety, bereavement/loss, eating disorders, anger mangement, minfulness and so on.
Aspergers Anonymous

Aspergers Anonymous® is a fellowship of people with Asperger Syndrome and their families that offers free regular meetings and a programme to practice social interactions, acceptance and positive thinking.
A youth club for young people with Aspergers meets regularly.
Aspire

Supports individuals diagnosed with asperger syndrome, operate a family inclusive model to support the sutistic individual and their support nework. Advocate for autistic people and provide them with tools to advocate for themselves
Aster Family Resource Centre

Aster Family Resource Centre (FRC) have locations in Balbriggan and Coolock and it serves Artane, Balbriggan, Baldoyle, Ballyboghill, Coolock, Darndale, Garristown, Howth, Lusk, Malahide, Oldtown, Portmarnock, Raheny, Rush, Santry, Skerries, Swords and The Naul. The FRC works with communities and individuals to improve outcomes around parent and family support. The FRC offers a donation-based counselling service to those over the age of 18 as well as play therapy for children.
Athlone Family Resource Centre

Aim to create a community where people from Athlone can engage in all elmenets of family and community life, develop resilience and manage life challenges effectively. Provide a variety of therapy services such as Meitheal, family support, bereavement support, non-violent resistance, adolescent counselling, play therapy
Nationwide Services
Exchange House Ireland- National Travellers Service

Exchange House Ireland National Travellers service is a leading provider of front-line support services to Travellers, many of whom are marginalised. Exchange House is a large provider of youth services to the Traveller Community in the greater Dublin area.
Among the supports and services on offer are onsite activities and programmes including Arts, leadership, anti-bullying, and educational opportunities. The organisation also provides detached youth work. Family support programmes are available.
In addition, Exchange House provides the National Traveller Mental Health Service, which provides a counselling service for travellers to help them deal with the issues affecting them. This service provides counselling to those 18 years and older.
FirstLight

FirstLight offers free professional support and provides information to families in Ireland that have experienced the sudden, unexpected death of their child if aged from 0 to 18 years. They provide support to all family members who have lost a child (up to 12 years of age) in a number of ways including
(1) Crisis Intervention- by providing support around the time of death (call their crisis line – 087 2423777)
(2) Free Counselling through their list of counsellors around the country
(3) Family weekends
(4) Phone support
(5)Children’s groups and more.
Fóroige

Fóroige is a national Youth Organisation that has Youth Projects and Youth Clubs all over Ireland. Fóroige aims to enable young people to involve themselves consciously and actively in their development and in the development of society. Fóroige offers a wide range of development programmes for young people, details of which can be found on their website. Foróige groups and clubs operate Nationwide, to view a map of services in your area, go to: https://www.foroige.ie/foroige-map
GROW Mental Health Ireland

Find out about the many GROW meetings across the country on their INFOLINE @ 0818 474 474 and website @ https://grow.ie/join-a-support-group/. The purpose of the meetings is to support people who have or had a mental health illness. Some youth-specific groups take place for people aged 18-30 years. There is also the option to join online support meetings. Check the website for more information.
HSE – Mental Health

This website aims to improve awareness and understanding of mental health and well-being in Ireland. You will find tips for minding your mental health and supporting others. The website is also useful to help you search for supports in your local area. It also gives you information about what to do when someone tells you they are suicidal or self-harming.
I Fight Depression

The iFightDepression tool is a multilingual internet-based guided self-management tool for individuals with mild to moderate depression. The iFightDepression website promotes greater knowledge of and awareness of depression with the aim of increasing recognition of depression and decreasing the associated stigma.
Inclusion Ireland

Inclusion Ireland is the National is the National Association for People with an Intellectual Disability.
They work towards the full inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities by supporting people to have their voices heard and advocating for rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. They also run a number of programme and have a variety of resources available on their website.
Involve

Involve delivers a wide range of programmes for young Travellers through their six centres across Ireland; details of the centres can be found on the Youth Services section of their website. Mental health promotion work is woven through these programmes; one example is the No Shame Mental Health Project
Irish Wheelchair Association

The Irish Wheelchair Association provides a wide range of services for people with physical disabilities. They have a young adult sevice designed to support young adults with physical disabilities to pursue their goals and build confidence. They offer life skills training to young adults in Clontarf, Kilkenny and Wexford.
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.