Early Intervention service
Description
Bradford and Airedale Early Intervention service specialises in working with people aged 14-65 years old who may be experiencing issues with their mental health, such as:
- Unusual or distressing beliefs.
- Hearing, seeing, sensing or feeling things that no one else can (e.g. hearing voices).
- Feeling suspicious or paranoid.
- Jumbled up or confused thinking.
This is sometimes called ‘psychosis’. Often this happens when stressful events or situations have become too much. If you or someone you know might be having these experiences, it is important to get help early, even if you are unsure. Early Intervention provides a range of services including psychological therapies, medical and social interventions designed to meet young people’s needs, and helping them get their lives back on track. You can get in touch with us for advice and to refer by calling 01274 221021 or drop in to Culture Fusion (ask to see us at the main desk). We are open Monday- Friday 9am-5pm (answerphone with advice outside these hours).
Early Intervention is a confidential service funded by Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust and Bradford District Council.
We also offer a service for young people aged 14-35 who are at risk of developing psychosis, or may have an immediate family member with psychosis and would like support for themselves. For more information view our Future Focus service.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S2UafCgYes
Care coordinator
Care coordinators are responsible for organising and monitoring care for service users and are the main point of contact for the individual. They work with service users and as part of the multidisciplinary team to co-ordinate a care plan for individuals and families/carers experiencing a first episode of psychosis. The care plan encompasses the full range of physical, psychological and social needs. Care coordinators can come from a range of professions but typically will be nurses, social workers, community psychiatric nurses (CPN) or occupational therapists.
Consultant psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor specialising in mental health. They can diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe medication and recommend treatment. In early intervention in psychosis (EIP) services, psychiatrists may offer medication as a means to reduce the service user’s initial distress. They will offer up-to-date information on medication side effects and the long term impact of medication whilst weighing up the benefits to the individual. They are actively involved in the assessment process and in decisions about acceptance on to caseload and discharge, especially where this is unplanned.
Social worker
Social workers work with individuals and families who are experiencing difficulties and distress. They provide practical help with social needs such as housing, financial issues and general advice and support. A social worker’s role may involve visiting service users wherever they are, assessing their needs, organising support, making referrals to other services and agencies, keeping detailed records and attending meetings.
Community psychiatric nurse
A community psychiatric nurse is a mental health nurse who works in the community. They support service users with taking medication, managing health and offering treatment in the community setting.
Clinical psychologist
Clinical psychologists work with individuals with emotional, behavioural and/or psychological distress which disrupts their everyday functioning and well-being. Therapy can help people to cope with difficulties such as hearing voices, low self-esteem, paranoid feelings or family relationships, and usually involves talking treatments such as:
- cognitive behavioural therapy – exploring how unhelpful thoughts and behaviour develop and how these can be tolerated or changed
- systemic therapy – focussing on family stories and relationships
- art therapy – uses art making as a non-verbal way of expressing, understanding and processing difficult experiences and feelings.
Occupational therapists
Occupational therapists work with people to help them overcome difficulties with everyday tasks to improve their quality of life and allow them to be more independent.
Support worker
Support workers generally work under the direction of the care coordinator, working closely with the service user to enable their recovery and promote independence. This may involve helping with benefit forms, applying for a bus pass or accompanying the service user to social activities such as the cinema. Support workers may also help with access to further education, exercise classes/gym and support people back into employment.
Support and development worker
Support and development workers often have personal experience of mental health difficulties and offer insight into the experiences and needs of the service user. They develop and maintain a deep understanding of the service user’s situation in order to represent their views during the planning and delivery of services. They work alongside the multidisciplinary team to help service users become more actively involved in their care.
Recovery Co-ordinator
Recovery co-ordinators work with service users, carers, child and adult mental health services, primary care and other agencies to assess, plan and provide programmes of care aimed at getting the most out of recovery for individuals.