Meaningful mental health engagement is a respectful, dignified, and equitable process of integrating individuals with lived experience across a range of processes and activities, transferring power to people, valuing lived experience as a form of expertise, and applying this to improve health outcomes.
HSE National Office for Mental Health Engagement & Recovery
How Engagement Works
Mental Health Engagement aims to provide opportunities to share insights from service users and their families/supporters and identify areas where co-production of solutions for gaps/issues is possible.
Co-production works at the individual care plan level up to the policy development or service design level. It involves all interested parties, from service providers to support organisations, with the service user at the centre, and focusses on better outcomes for all who seek mental health support.
Mental Health Engagement is based on a partnership approach between the person using the mental health services (lived experience) and the staff/service (commitment to service improvement). Find out more about the mental health engagement process here.
Lived Experience graphic designed by the HSE National Office of Mental Health Engagement & Recovery showing the domains with opportunity for co-production activity
Meet Rosemary
My name is Rosemary Ryan and my role is Area Lead for Mental Health Engagement in HSE Mid West Mental Health Service. My involvement with mental health services came about originally based on experiences as a family member of someone living with mental health illness and speaking with others who wish to see improved outcomes for all who have mental health challenges. I now have the privilege of meeting and speaking with service users and their families and supporters who wish to bring their lived experiences together to improve our mental health services.
Rosemary Ryan
Area Lead Engagement for Mental Health Engagement
HSE Mid West Mental Health Service
rosemaryh.ryan@hse.ie
Valuing Lived Experience
In mental health care, a range of statutory and private services, and support organisations in the voluntary community sector provide for recovery from illness and maintaining of mental health. This stepped care approach in providing care at the appropriate level is illustrated in the 4-Tier stepped care approach to mental health.
This journey through services and supports that a person navigates creates a lived experience which is unique and can provide valuable feedback for improvement of the mental health service.
Lived Experience encompasses the entire person’s journey and personal insights from living with a health condition, to supporting or caring for someone with mental health challenges.
Graphic from Sharing the Vision illustrating the stepped care approach.
Want to Get Involved?
For more information on ways for service users, family members, carers and supporters to become involved in engagement activity and events, please complete this short Expression of Interest form.
If you wish to make a comment, compliment or a complaint regarding HSE Health services, this feedback is best directed to HSE Your Service Your Say Click here for more information.
