IACP supports in-school counselling pilot for primary schools
The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) was honoured in November 2022 to be invited to appear before the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, as part of its examination of Mental Health Supports in Schools and Tertiary Education.
Lisa Molloy, Chief Executive Officer, had the pleasure to participate in a round table discussion alongside representatives from: the HSE National Mental Health Services, Jigsaw, Spunout, the Psychological Society of Ireland, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and the Irish Council for Psychotherapy.
The IACP has been calling for the introduction of access to school counselling and psychotherapeutic supports for many years, and was delighted with the news of the allocation of €5 million for an in-school counselling pilot for primary schools.
School-based counselling programmes are established in over 60 countries worldwide and are mandatory in 40. They have been operating at second-level education very effectively in the United Kingdom for many years.
Following on from the success of school-based counselling at second level, there is now a pilot project in Northern Ireland, called Happy Healthy Minds. The evaluation report of this programme will provide invaluable learning to the Irish Government in determining the model for the primary school pilot here.
The bottom line is that having timely access to professional qualified counsellors and psychotherapists through schools has been proven to be highly effective.
Growing support for this was clearly captured in our last nationally representative general public survey. This survey conducted by Behaviour and Attitudes from April to May 2022 has produced some timely topline results.
These results include a finding that 93 per cent of Irish adults think that counselling and psychotherapy should be made available for children and young people through schools. This is a 5 per cent increase from the already high level of pre-pandemic support of 88 per cent in 2019.
Growing international evidence for the benefits of school-based counselling highlights accessibility, de-stigmatisation and support for children, teachers, and parents and caregivers.
The IACP believes early intervention is critical and access to counselling and psychotherapeutic services through schools, as research indicates, is highly successful with positive outcomes not only for children but also for the wider community.
The IACP represents more than 5,000 members, based in communities nationwide and is the largest counselling and psychotherapy association in Ireland.
T: 01 230 3536
E: ceo@iacp.ie
W: www.iacp.ie
