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.
Youth Work Ireland Louth
Endevour to alleviate disadvantage and social exclusion by highlighting the needs specific to those most at risk in these areas. Aims to support the young people of Louth through social interaction, engagement and signposting and providing clear pathways to main stream services and services such as youth clubs and detached youth work.
Youth Work Ireland Midlands
Youth Work Ireland Midlands, in partnership with Young people and their communities aims to Develop, coordinate and promote a comprehensive response to youth needs throughout Westmeath, Offaly and Roscommon. Youth Work Ireland Midlands’ youth clubs provide young people with a safe place where they have a sense of belonging, where they have people who believe in them, and a place where they can form positive relationships with adults. They exist to assist in the personal and social development of young people so as to enable them take decisions, exercise responsibility and contribute towards the development of society.
Youth Work Ireland Midlands
Youth Work Ireland Midlands, in partnership with Young people and their communities aims to Develop, coordinate and promote a comprehensive response to youth needs throughout Westmeath, Offaly and Roscommon. Youth Work Ireland Midlands’ youth clubs provide young people with a safe place where they have a sense of belonging, where they have people who believe in them, and a place where they can form positive relationships with adults. They exist to assist in the personal and social development of young people so as to enable them take decisions, exercise responsibility and contribute towards the development of society.
Youth Work Ireland Midlands
Youth Work Ireland Midlands, in partnership with Young people and their communities aims to Develop, coordinate and promote a comprehensive response to youth needs throughout Westmeath, Offaly and Roscommon. Youth Work Ireland Midlands’ youth clubs provide young people with a safe place where they have a sense of belonging, where they have people who believe in them, and a place where they can form positive relationships with adults. They exist to assist in the personal and social development of young people so as to enable them take decisions, exercise responsibility and contribute towards the development of society.
Youth Work Ireland North Connaught
Affiliated to Youth Work Ireland, YWINC is a regional youth service provider covering Sligo, Leitrim and Mayo. It aims to support the development of young people, to enable them to take greater control of their own lives by making decisions and exercising responsibility and contributing to the development of both their community and their society. It runs a number of projects in Mayo including the North Mayo Youth Project and Youth Action projects in Castlebar and Ballina.
Youth Work Ireland North Connaught
Youth Work Ireland North Connaught is a regional youth service covering Sligo, Leitrim and Mayo and they run the Leitrim Youth Project, which is a ‘Your Place Your Space’ (UBU) project based in Drumshanbo. The project works with young people aged 10–24 years across the county. A range of approaches are used to support the development and well-being of young people. Youth clubs/cafés and projects in County Leitrim offer a menu of ever-growing activities driven by the members’ interests and needs. This menu might include many different activities under the headings of sports, culture, recreation, arts, personal development, education and trips and exchanges.
Youth Work Ireland Tipperary
Engaging young people in social and personal development issues. Addressing family/relationship issues, education, substance misuse, offending behaviour, and health. Targeting young people aged 10-24. Various locations around Tipperary- Thurles, Templemore, Cashel, Killenaule/Fethard
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.