• Mixed levels of engagement from &

ownership of our campaigns by MHR

members.

• Members do not always take the

opportunity to input into or comment

on policy formation.

• Members may assume we do the

campaigning, so they don’t need to.

• We cannot only rely on members for

access to service users & family

members. We need to build our own

relationships.

• The two biggest mental health groups

in Ireland are not members to date.

• Assumption that we are bigger and can

do more, although we are a small team

with limited resources.

• Always a risk of division within MHR

over policy & ideology.

• That mental health as a sector will be

seen by the public & politicians as

having “had their time/funding” in recent

Budgets.

• That funding for mental health services

and MHR will decrease.

• The challenge of proving our impact, in

a crowded sector

• Unpredictable economic environment

• Unpredictable political environment –

reshuffles, General Elections.

• Opportunity for collective input into

Government mental health policy

beyond ‘A Vision for Change’ (2016).

• Opportunity to influence the next

Programme for Government on

mental health related issues.

• Opportunity to engage with growing

number of consumer panels, groups

& service user channels.

• Chairing the Children’s Mental Health

Coalition brings a new dimension to

MHR’s work.

• Opportunity to build our membership,

e.g. ethnic minority groups.

Workshop E: Mental Health Reform

• A united voice on mental health & strength

in numbers.

• Broad support from across mental health

sector, with different groups signing up to

progressive vision & values.

• Keeping the conversation open between

those at opposite ends of the debate.

• Not just critical, but solutions-focused.

• MHR members give access to local, on-

the-ground information about services.

• Campaign supporters (the public) have

become a strong leg of our work.

• Seen as a credible voice by media & State

& built relationships with key journalists,

policymakers & HSE decision-makers.