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McElvaney, Rosaleen; Tatlow-Golden, Mimi; Webb, Roisin; Lawlor, Eilis and Merriman, Brian (2013). Someone to Care: The mental health needs of children and young people with experience of the care and youth justice systems. Amnesty Ireland and the Children's Mental Health Coalition, Dublin, Ireland.
Abstract
Significant proportions of children and young people who engage with the alternative care and youth justice systems experience mental health difficulties. Developing timely, effective and comprehensive responses for these young people’s needs is challenging, but Ireland has human rights obligations under international instruments to do so. The main aim of this study is to explore the experiences and mental health needs of children and young people from the perspectives of those who have experienced these systems, and to explore professionals’ views of the barriers to meeting those needs. In addition we sought to review the international and legal, human rights and policy contexts for the provision of mental health services to young people in the care and youth justice systems; to analyse the economic context; to document learning from international literature on best practice in service provision in these fields; and to make recommendations for future developments.