Community / Distress brief intervention in the spotlight
LOCAL mental health charity Mind Your Head has been hosting a visit from a national ‘distress brief intervention’ (DBI) team this week.
This team lead the DBI programme on-behalf of Scottish Government and the charity Penumbra Mental Health.
In collaboration with NHS Shetland, Mind Your Head has been delivering a DBI programme since November 2023.
Mind Your Head said the visit from the mainland team gave it an opportunity to showcase the work its staff has done and to look at how it can further develop the service.
The DBI programme provides support to people who are in distress and feeling overwhelmed emotionally.
Mind Your Head said this service provides a quick response that listens and supports with a sensitive, caring and non-judgemental approach.
This person-centred programme provides support to identify challenges in a person’s life, as well as what might help now and in the future – including establishing connections with people and organisations within Shetland.
There are a range of professionals trained to refer individuals to the DBI service and throughout this week Mind Your Head has trained another 20 people.
They are able to refer anyone aged 16 years and over to DBI, where it is considered appropriate, enabling more people to benefit from connected, compassionate support.
Mind Your Head CEO Anouska Civico said: “For our charity to be offered this opportunity to deliver what other charities in Scotland have been doing as part of a national DBI programme was testament to the reputation of our charity and the work it does.
“This week will allow us to demonstrate what works well in Shetland and highlight the needs of our community and provide local context so that agencies out with Shetland can understand island life and its complexities a little bit more.”
Rhona McArthur, head of service for community mental health at NHS Shetland, added: “NHS Shetland has supported the development of the DBI programme thanks to the integrated joint board, which agreed to initial funding for the project alongside the Scottish Government to enable Mind Your Head to start delivering DBI in November 2023.
“The DBI programme in Shetland provides an additional pathway that complements existing pathways to support people.
“For the purpose of the DBI programme, distress is defined as ‘an emotional pain that led the person to seek help and that does not require further emergency service involvement’.
“This model of inter-agency and service co-ordination and collaboration in Shetland aligns with the wider DBI movement across Scotland and moves us towards our shared goal of providing a compassionate and effective response to people in distress, which is available to anyone, wherever they seek help.”
National DBI programme manager Kevin O’Neill said: “I have had the privilege to work with NHS Shetland, Shetland Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS24, Shetland Emergency Services, Penumbra and Mind Your Head over the last few year in establishing the Shetland DBI programme.
“It has been fantastic to spend a few days working and learning with our Shetland colleagues, hearing about all the work that is taking place across Shetland in support of the communities mental health and support the further planning and development of DBI Shetland.
“I have been so impressed with Shetland’s shared commitment to work and learn together, inspired by the need to improve responses for people in distress.
“DBI is now available across every part of Scotland and has helped over 75,000 people so far.”
Rachel Middleton, Penumbra mental health distress brief intervention network manager, said: “Distress Brief Intervention across Shetland is providing increased opportunities of support to people experiencing distress and supporting people to feel better equipped to manage their distress and wellbeing in their current circumstances and in their future.”
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