Health and Social Minister Lesley Griffiths AM has launched new guidance to increase access to “talking treatments” across Wales.
“Psychological Therapies in Wales” provides guidance on steps each Local Health Board (LHB) in Wales needs to take to improve access to therapies such as counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
The guidance states that each LHB will need to measure local demand for, and capacity to deliver, an appropriate range of psychological therapies and that they also train and deliver a workforce capable of meeting this demand.
The Minister said: “The importance of the provision of psychological therapy services has received increasing attention over recent years, and rightly so.
“We all recognise we need to drive up standards across Wales for access to treatment and care for service users.
“The guidance published provides a set of quality standards which services should meet with a focus on matching the treatment to the need of the individual and on providing treatment as early as possible.
“The skills, expertise and passion of staff working in the field of mental health are vital in helping people overcome mental health problems. By ensuring appropriate services are available to those who need them, we will be helping people to live more independent and fulfilling lives.”
An online address where you can download a copy of this publication will be available soon.