During 2012, NHS Brighton and Hove and Brighton and Hove City Council consulted on proposals to redesign community mental health support services via the Commissioning Prospectus and have commissioned a new range of services to start in April 2013 including employment support, and targeted out-reach support for the most vulnerable and at risk groups in Brighton & Hove and an information and advice service.
A programme of mental health promotion services is commissioned from the voluntary and community sector. A small grants scheme to support local mental health promotion projects was established in 2012 and ran again in 2013. Approximately 20 projects have been funded each year, ranging from allotment groups to art and photography.
World Mental Health Day and World Suicide Prevention Day are both celebrated annually.
Children’s centres and parenting programmes (e.g. Triple P) promote resilience and early help.
Right Here project for young people 16 – 25 focuses on resilience building and prevention of the escalation of mental health issues.
A new Wellbeing Service has been developed to provide access to psychological therapies in a range of primary care and community settings. Access to the service has been widened through a new option of self-referral.
The supported accommodation pathway has been redesigned – making more flexible use of resources and targeting resources more effectively to those with the most complex needs.
A single point of access to tiers 2 and 3 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) has been established. A 14-25 service has been developed to bridge the gap between CAMHS and adult services. A strategy is in development to promote effective liaison between social care team and CAMHS when young people present at A&E with self harming behaviours.
The care pathway for responding to adults with urgent mental health needs has been improved. In January 2013, the Brighton Urgent Response Service was launched, which provides an improved 24/7 crisis response service for adults with mental health needs.