The innovative service is due to open in early 2025 and will be able to support 12 young people at a time. It is being developed by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and the Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent and Medway Provider Collaborative, in partnership with NHS Sussex.
This new way of working will see a joined-up approach to the current home treatment teams and urgent help service, with an overarching multi-disciplinary team offering an enhanced crisis service to support very unwell young people who might otherwise need to be admitted to hospital.
The service is being co-produced with experts by experience who provide valuable insight on how this should be done. This includes Max who said:
"I'm really happy to be a part of introducing this new service. I know first-hand just how important crisis support and the prevention of admissions is, and I hope that this new service can positively impact those struggling."
The aims of the service are to improve the quality of care via the delivery of evidence-based treatment, preventing the need for young people to be admitted to hospital and reducing lengths of stay for those who do need inpatient care. The service will offer home-, community-, clinic- and telephone-based services for young people and their families.
Dr Lucy Allsopp, Consultant Psychiatrist at Chalkhill said:
"It will be great to have an alternative to hospital admission in Sussex. The complexity and intensity of the care provided in a ward can be replicated by this new approach without a young person needing to be away from family and friends."
Community-based intensive treatment programmes offer cost savings compared to inpatient services and can provide timely treatment to young people, in or closer to their homes and communities.
If you would like further information about the service, please email Nicola Chainey - Nicola.