The new Mental Health Strategy 2021 – 31, which was launched on 29 June 2021 is the blueprint for reform of mental health services in Northern Ireland. Implementing the 35 Actions of the Strategy will improve outcomes for people who need help and support with their mental health. It focuses on the promotion of wellbeing, and emphasises recovery and the reduction of stigma.

The Strategy recognises that in Northern Ireland, only a small number of mental health services have successfully adopted outcomes frameworks. Outcomes frameworks are important in ensuring that the supports and interventions provided for service users are effective and that service users and carers, have positive experiences of services, and have their dignity respected. They also help ensure that we have the right services to meet the needs of the population.

Action 34 of the Strategy commits to the development of a regional Outcomes Framework in collaboration with service users and professionals, to underpin and drive service development and delivery. The desired outcomes are:

- A clear, evidence based outcome framework which allows evidence to be the foundation for decision making.

- A robust data set which is comparable across Trusts to measure performance and to determine what works.

An essential quality of a Mental Health Outcomes Framework is that the outcome measures developed support recovery and are meaningful and relevant to service users and carers. Co-production is essential therefore to the development of an effective outcomes framework. This means people with lived experience being represented on the project structures that will take this work forward. In order to provide an opportunity for wider engagement the Department of Health is planning to host a virtual engagement event for people with lived experience of mental health services, to get your views to help shape and inform the Regional Mental Health Outcomes Framework.

This virtual event will provide information and facilitate discussion on what is meant by a Regional Mental Health Outcome Framework, the process in developing and implementing this and the importance of co-production and co-design. A key focus of the event will be facilitated workshops to get your thoughts and views on the outcomes that are important and meaningful to you when you access mental health services.

Places are limited, so register now to book your place.

Development of a Regional Mental Health Outcomes Framework event