Psychology and Behaviour Support
Introduction to Psychology and Behaviour Support
The West Region Psychology Department Teams work to promote the best possible psychological, social, emotional, and behavioural health. The biopsychosocial model underpins all professional practice.
In Galway, given the range of referrals and intervention needs we encounter, colleagues within the Psychology Department include Senior Psychologists, Positive Behaviour Support Therapists, a Psychotherapist, Assistant Psychologists, and trainees.
In Roscommon, there is a Psychology Department and Behaviour Support Department, which is managed by the Head of Psychology.
We work in close partnership with colleagues across other disciplines and relevant external agencies so that a cohesive, coordinated, interdisciplinary service is provided.
In the case of Children’s Services access to Psychology and Behaviour Support services is via the Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) which covers the geographical region where a child and family reside.
Core Services We Offer
Psychological Assessments and Interventions
The West Region Psychology Departments complete a range of assessments to identify strengths as well as areas that need further support for people we support. We provide interventions directly and/or via staff and family members.
Colleagues provide training on areas such as Positive Behaviour Support, Mental Health, Dementia, Skills building techniques to support friendships and Quality of Life.
Behaviour Support Assessment and Interventions
The West Region Behaviour Support services support people using the Positive Behaviour Support model. These services offer a range of services including consultation meetings, completing comprehensive functional assessments (including functional analysis) and developing behaviour support plans. The service offers bespoke training to staff teams, families and carers in order to increase their understanding of why a person may be displaying a certain behaviour and develop their skills on how to implement specific behaviour support plans. Crisis Prevention training is delivered to staff teams.
Professional Placements
The West Region are a placement site for trainees from Clinical, Educational, and Counselling Psychology Doctoral Programmes. We also provide placements for trainees from the Master’s in Applied Behavioural Analysis located at University of Galway.
We provide placements for Psychologists trained abroad to meet criteria required by the Department of Health and Children and the Psychological Society of Ireland.
Research
Members of the Psychology Department are active in the area of research and have published articles in peer reviewed professional journals.
For further information please contact the Psychology and Positive Behaviour Support Departments.
Other Specialist Services We Provide
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
The DBT Service accepts county-wide referrals for people admitted to BOCSI Galway services who require this treatment programme. This therapy programme has operated in collaboration with colleagues from the HSE’s Intellectual Disability Service and frontline support staff members.
Forensic Intellectual Disability (ID) Service
The Forensic Intellectual Disability (ID) Service Galway provides specialist risk assessment as well as group and individual treatment for adults with intellectual disabilities.
Brain Health and Cognitive Decline
The West Region Psychology Department teams have developed nationally recognised clinical expertise in assessing for dementia and providing post-diagnostic supports to people ageing with intellectual disability. Expertise has been developed in supporting people to optimise their brain health through the lifespan.
There are close working links with the Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability (TCAID) and there is collaboration on research projects. Consultancy work has been undertaken in supporting the set-up of the new National Intellectual Disability Memory Service, Tallaght Hospital.
Staff have collaborated with TCAID on the roll out of the People with Intellectual Disability Physical Activity Leaders programme (PPALs) in County Roscommon.
Community Integration and Social Enterprise Supports
Roscommon are actively involved in setting up local social enterprises and micro-enterprises, some of which have won national awards. A staff is a Board member of Roscommon Leader Partnership and is the Chair of the County Roscommon Social Prescribing Network (HSE funded). Through this work, the Psychology Department has been able to leverage opportunities for increased integration of people with intellectual disabilities in community initiatives throughout County Roscommon.
Further Information
Referrals to the Service are generally via staff members or self-referrals as the persons supported must be admitted to BOCSI, West Region.
In the case of Children’s Services and in line with the admission criteria for the Community Disability Network Teams (CDNTs), access to psychology services is via the CDNT which covers the geographical region where a child and family reside.
Galway Psychology Department
Dr Mary Davis – Chartered Principal Clinical Psychologist, Head of Psychology Department, Galway
Phone: (091) 721 400
Email: Mary.Davis@bocsi.ie
Roscommon Psychology and Behaviour Support Department
Dawn Hunt – Head of Psychology and Behaviour Support Department, Roscommon
Phone: (090) 662 8500
Email: Dawn.Hunt@bocsi.ie