A BRAVE pilot project aimed at helping people in mental heath crisis and keeping them out of the criminal justice system has had to be paid for out of existing budgets, it has been revealed.
Limerick Sinn Fรฉin TD Maurice Quinlivan raised concern regarding the level of funding provided to the trial Community Access Support Team (CAST).
CAST is a pilot initiative launched in Limerick last October aimed at assisting people experiencing situational trauma or a mental health crisis.
The project, a partnership between An Garda Sรญochรกna and the HSE Mid West Community Healthcare Mental Health Services, comprises intervention, prevention, and outreach with the potential to yield a better outcome for those experiencing a mental health crisis or situational trauma.
The team includes clinical nurse specialists, social workers, social care workers, and members of the Gardaรญ.
The Sinn Fรฉin TD raised the alarm following responses to parliamentary questions from both the Departments of Health and Justice confirming that no additional funding or resources has been provided to CAST.
Deputy Quinlivan said he welcomed the project and its “huge potential” to address mental health challenges, particularly during out-of-hours times, but said “the response I received (from) both the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Health regarding funding is a cause for concern”.
“Both Ministers have confirmed that CAST has been established out of existing resources. As this was a new project and initative, we expected additional funding to support this. The HSE and An Garda Sรญochรกna are already very stretched in Limerick and additional funding should have been given to support the roll out of CAST.”
The Sinn Fรฉin Deputy added that “this is a trial project and will run for one year, after which an evaluation will take place to determine whether the project will be continued”.
“I am extremely concerned that the lack of additional funding will limit the performance of this team and lead to the discontinuation of this important project.
“I am appealing to both Ministers to provide additional funding to this team so that it can continue to interact with those in need and deliver positive results in terms of the support it provides to those with mental health challenges.”
