Children’s Health Ireland launches first national training programme for acute psychiatric and psychosocial emergencies in children and young people
Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) will host the first Acute Psychiatric and Psychosocial Emergencies in Children and Young People (CYP APEx) course in Ireland on 23 and 24 March 2026 at CHI at Crumlin.
May 21, 2026
CHI at Crumlin, CHI at Connolly (by appointment), CHI at Tallaght, CHI at Temple Street
News
Acute Psychiatric and Psychosocial Emergencies in Children and Young People (CYP APEx) course
The CYP APEx programme is a specialist simulation-based training course designed to equip multidisciplinary healthcare professionals with the skills, knowledge and confidence to safely and compassionately care for children and young people presenting to hospital in acute psychiatric or psychosocial crisis.
The programme includes the voice of a young person with lived experience, helping to break down stigma and deepen understanding among healthcare professionals. It supports staff to recognise behaviour as communication - reframing challenging presentations as expressions of distress and enabling more empathetic, trauma-informed care.
Unlike traditional approaches that focus primarily on de-escalation, CYP APEx takes a holistic view of care. It prepares teams to respond compassionately to all children and young people presenting with psychiatric or psychosocial emergencies, whether or not de-escalation is required.
The introduction of the programme comes at a critical time. Across Ireland, paediatric and emergency departments are seeing increasing numbers of children and young people presenting in acute mental health crisis. Many clinicians report feeling underprepared, as training in this area has historically been limited, inconsistent and often learned in high-pressure clinical environments.
Associate Clinical Professor Dani Hall, Paediatric Emergency Medicine Consultant and Director of Simulation at CHI, said:
“Bringing the CYP APEx simulation programme to Children’s Health Ireland is a vital step in supporting our staff to care for young people in acute mental health crisis with confidence, compassion and safety. This training gives teams the skills to transform how we care for some of Ireland's most vulnerable young people.”
Professor Susa Benseler, Chief Academic Officer at CHI, added:
“At Children’s Health Ireland, we are committed to delivering truly child-centred care. CYP APEx reflects that commitment by ensuring our multidisciplinary teams are equipped not only with clinical expertise, but with the empathy, insight and confidence needed to support children and young people at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives. Investing in this training is an investment in safer, more compassionate care for families across Ireland.”
Developed by a collaboration between the Advanced Life Support Group and a multidisciplinary working group comprising national clinical leaders and recognised experts from RCPCH, RCPsych, RCEM, RCN and the Director of Simulation for Children’s Health Ireland, CYP APEx is a two-day simulation programme complemented by workshops and e-learning modules, underpinned by trauma-informed and compassionate care principles.
Once established, the course will train 24 multidisciplinary healthcare professionals per cycle, strengthening national capacity to respond to acute mental health presentations in children and young people.
The programme has been made possible through the generous support of the Children’s Health Foundation.