The Duty and Intervention Team are the first point of contact for all referrals into Adult Mental Health Services within working hours.
We are the gateway into Secondary Adult Mental Health Services and receive referrals primarily from GP's, A&E and the wards at the PEH. We are available for appointments Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. We aim to meet with you as soon as possible and use intensive interventions to address your difficulties.
We hope to provide a respectful, empowering service in which you feel in the driving seat on your road to recovery.
Our team comprises of Approved Social Workers, Psychiatrists, Community Mental Health Nurses and Administrative support staff.
Assessment
- The Duty and Intervention team will be responsible for triaging all emergency referrals within 2 hours of referral. All urgent referrals will be assessed within 5 working days and routine referrals within 28 days. The service operates between 09.00-17.00 Monday to Friday.
- If a service user is already under the care of another team/worker and presents in crisis, then that team/worker should remain the initial clinical point of contact and where possible respond and manage the situation. If this is not possible, then the team/worker will be responsible for facilitating and negotiating an appropriate response via the Duty Team.
- The team offer a range of supportive interventions along with pharmacological treatment when required. Support can be offered over a period of weeks or months depending on need.
- If it becomes apparent early on that the service user will require a longer term intervention than within the remit of the team, the service user will be referred to the most appropriate team to best meet their needs at the earliest, but most appropriate opportunity.
- The team holds meetings each day to consider all new referrals and prioritise care.
- There is a weekly team meeting on Wednesdays 09:30-10:30 where all referrals and active cases are discussed with the entire team present.
Screening
- The team will gather information on referrals, both from referrer and, where appropriate, the service user (via telephone) to facilitate the management of the referral and decide upon the urgency of an assessment. This information will guide the need for immediate team involvement and to inform the intake meeting discussions.
- It is expected that all urgent referrals to the Team will involve a discussion between the referrer and the team, in addition to emailed or written communications.
- The role of current documentation, such as prior history and risk assessment will be considered when deciding the most appropriate course of action.
What to expect from our Service
- Your initial assessment appointment with a member of our Team will last for approximately one hour. We use this time to listen to your difficulties, assess your mental health and discuss with you support which is available from mental health services, and if this is the right service for you.
- Although our service focuses on the 'here and now' we will also ask some questions relating to your past as this helps us to have a better understanding.
- Please note that our Team supports Nurses and Social Workers during their training. Permission is always sought from Service Users for students to take part in appointments.
Process of the Duty & Intervention Service
- If you are accepted for treatment, we will work collaboratively with you to agree your treatment and recovery goals. If you are in agreement we will aim to inform and involve your family/carer's in all aspects of your care planning. Together we will agree treatment options which could include:
- Guided self help for anxiety and Depression
- Graded exposure
- Anxiety Management
- Behavioural Activation
- Brief Solution Focused Therapy
- Peri-natal support
- Medication
- Psychoeducation
- Identification of triggers and relapse signatures
- Crisis support.
- Following a period of support we may refer you to another specialist service eg:
- Recovery and wellbeing Service: Occupational Therapy, groups, DBT, Mindfullness, Creative therapies
- Oberlands Wellness Clinic-Physical Health Screening, annual health check up, signposting for health advice and support.
- Recovery and Rehabilitation Team-specialist support for service users with longer term mental health needs.
- Community Drug and Alcohol Team-specialist support for service users with substance use difficulties.
- Psychological Therapies - CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)/DBT (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy), Mindfulness, EMDR (Eye Movement and Desensitization and Reprocessing), Eating Disorder treatment, Cat therapy, Systemic Family Therapy,
- In-patient Service for specialist treatment.
Other Support Services
- The following are examples of non-statutory services who also offer support:
- Philippi Counsellors
- Options
- Guernsey Domestic Abuse Forum
- Action for Children
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- Drug Concern
- Guernsey Alcohol Advisory Services
- CAB
- Family Partnership
- Surestart
Discharge
- Following a period of successful treatment, which may last from several weeks to several months, the team will work with you towards discharge from the Team. Service users are often discharged back to the care of their GP, but in some cases you may be followed up by a Psychiatrist in their outpatient clinic for a period of time, or receive ongoing support from Psychological therapies team or the Recovery and Wellbeing Team.
- Some service users may be signposted to non -statutory services and third sector providers for ongoing support. Some examples of this may be:
- MIND,
- Independence
- Health Connections
- Action for Children,
- Guernsey Employment Trust
- Healthy Minds
- On discharge you will be given information on how to contact the service and what to do if you are in crisis. If you wish to speak to the team they can be contacted on 01481 220000 and ask for the Duty and Intervention Team at the Oberlands.
Contact Us
- During office hours, Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm:
- If you have an allocated worker/nurse/social worker /therapist, call the Oberlands Centre on 725241, and ask for that Team and professional by name.
- OTHERWISE
- Make an appointment with your GP
- Attend the ED
- Samaritans have a daily drop-in service at their office at :
- 2, Forest Lane, St Peter Port; search online for 'Guernsey Samaritans' for up-to-date opening times, or call their local number 01481 715515.
- Outside office hours:
- If you have had a mental health admission recently or you are known to secondary mental health services call 01481 220000 and request support from nursing staff on Crevichon Ward.
