Welfare Reform on the Web (October 2008): Mental health services - overseas

Examining pre-retirement and related services offered to service-users with an intellectual disability in Ireland

S. Lawrence and S.E. Roush

Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, vol.12, 2008, p. 239-252

The population of service users with an intellectual disability in Ireland is ageing, creating important challenges for service providers. This article reports the results of a postal survey of the pre-retirement and related services offered to users with an intellectual disability aged 60 years and above. Results show that little has been done as yet to plan for the needs of older service users with an intellectual disability in their retirement years. Although limited services for older intellectually disabled clients exist, provision is not underpinned by a guiding policy on how best to meet their needs. However, the research indicates that an increasing number of services are recognising the importance of making strategic plans to accommodate the changing age structure of this population.

Workforce planning in child and adolescent mental health services and addiction services: a New Zealand perspective

A. Willie and B. Nixon

Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. 3, Apr. 2008, p. 28-32

Since 2003 the Werry Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health has been contracted by the New Zealand Ministry of Health as one of four national programmes to promote workforce development in the mental health sector. The workforce planning development model being implemented by the Werry centre is based on the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health workforce planner's guide adapted for the UK child and adolescent mental health services by Barry Nixon.