Lucena CAMHS Neuro Project
- Lucena Clinic CAMHS: Extending Hospitality to our Neurodivergent Community, Dublin & Wicklow
- Pillar: Better Care
Lucena Clinic CAMHS supports children and young people across six locations in South Dublin and Wicklow. Recognising that a significant proportion of the young people accessing its services are neurodivergent, the organisation set out to create a more accessible, inclusive and identity-affirming environment where young people could engage with mental health services in a way that respected their individual needs and experiences.
Supported through the St John of God Foundation’s Better Life Grants Programme, Lucena brought together young people, families, staff and partner organisations including AsIAm, ADHD Ireland and NALA to co-design meaningful improvements across the service. The project was built on the principle that services should adapt to meet people’s needs, rather than expecting individuals to adapt to the service.
“I am really glad that I got the chance to be part of this project and have a say in how a mental health service works. Now I know that our voices can make a difference, not just for me, but for everyone who comes after.” Sadhbh, Lucena CAMHS user
As a result, significant changes were introduced across Lucena’s clinics. Communication materials were redesigned using plain English, sensory regulation kits were provided in clinical spaces, wayfinding signage was improved, and a new website was developed to make information more accessible. Staff training and consultation with neurodivergent young people ensured that these changes were informed by lived experience and embedded into everyday practice.
The impact of the project has been far-reaching. In 2024, Lucena Clinic CAMHS became the first healthcare service of any kind in Ireland to achieve Autism Friendly Accreditation from AsIAm and has since been successfully re-accredited. More importantly, young people now have a stronger voice in shaping the services they use, helping to create a culture of inclusion that will benefit current and future service users alike.
Today, Lucena continues to build on this work, developing a blueprint for neurodivergent-friendly mental healthcare spaces and sharing its learning with other organisations across Ireland. What began as a local improvement project is now helping to demonstrate how inclusive design, partnership and listening to young people can transform services and improve experiences for an entire community.