Young Adults Team (YAT)

The Young Adults Team (YAT) are a multidisciplinary clinical team who support school leavers with complex needs in the Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow (CHO7) area. The YAT works with the young person, family, and day services to support the transition from children to Adult Services. They work with the young person, their families and staff teams through episodic care to support transition and non-transition related clinical needs.

The team includes the following:

  • Occupational Therapist
  • Speech and Language Therapist
  • Psychologist
  • Behaviour Support Specialist
  • Social Worker
  • Physiotherapist
  • Young Adults Team Manager

See this short video on the work of the Young Adult Team

Criteria for referral to the YAT

  • Young adult has left school and is aged 18 - 26 years of age inclusive.
  • Young adult lives or attends a day service in Dublin South, Kildare, and West Wicklow.
  • Young adult presents with complex developmental disability related needs, which requires support from 2 or more disciplines on the team, and whose needs would not be more appropriately addressed within the framework of a Primary Care or Mental Health Service. 
  • The day service the young adult attends or is due to attend, does not have provision of multi-disciplinary support as part of their service level agreement.  Where a day service has discipline specific clinical support available, this should be exhausted prior to a referral to the Young Adults Team.
  • When a young adult is attending a Section 38 organisation (Saint John Of Gods, Kare, Stewarts Care), the young adult can be referred to the clinical team within that organisation for clinical support.

Who can refer to the Team?

  • Young person themselves.
  • Parent/guardian with consent from the young person.
  • Staff member/key worker/any person who knows the young person with their consent.
  • Children's Disability Network Team.

What about consent?

As the young person is now an adult, you need to gain their consent prior to submitting a referral form to the Team.

In line with the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, capacity to consent should be assumed unless proven otherwise. The individual consent form is to be signed by the person who is being referred to the Team.  The referral to the Young Adults Team should be explained to the person in a manner they understand by a trusted person who knows them well.  The referral form includes easy-to-read information to help support the young person’s understanding about what they are consenting to. Please see the referral form for more information around consent.

What is the guidance for completing the YAT referral form?

Please detail what the young person needs support with. What is their immediate need? What do you hope to get from the referral? What have you tried already prior to submitting the referral form. Some examples of clinical needs may include:

  • The young person has a manual wheelchair that they have outgrown and requires review.
  • The young person refuses to attend day centre due to high anxiety levels and support is required to support the transition back to day service.
  • The young person has a Augmentative Communication Device that the day services staff may need support with.

Supporting documentation with your referral

Please forward all relevant reports to support the referral including the most up-to-date psychological report, any diagnosis reports, other relevant clinical reports, and any relevant support plans e.g., communication support plan or a Positive Behaviour support plan.  The YAT cannot support the referral without this information and reports.  Sending the referral without the required reports will result in delays to the Team being able to support the referral.

Where will the YAT support the person?

The YAT will support the young person where they need support. This may be at home, in their day service, or in their community.

How does YAT support people?

The YAT is a support service to the young adult, their family, and staff team. They work through episodic care, with the aim of supporting the referral concern as best they can, working closely with the young person, their family, and staff team. Intervention may include problem-solving with the staff team, family support, supporting staff training, or more therapeutic support with the young person themselves.  Once they have supported the referral issue, they will close this episode of care. If future needs arise, you can re-refer to the Team.

How to refer to the team

Please fill out this referral form

Please also fill out this consent form with your young adult before submitting a referral

You can contact the YAT Manager, Audrey Collins, to discuss whether a young person meets the criteria for referral to the team.

You can send all completed referrals to referrals.dosmdt@hse.ie and cc audrey.collins@kare.ie

YAT contact information

Email: YATadmin@kare.ie

Phone: 0876824240

YAT Manager: Audrey Collins: audrey.collins@kare.ie