Health Minister Claire Christian has pledged action to improve mental health services where required.
She came under pressure in the House of Keys, from Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher, who raised concerns about gaps in mental health service provision.
Christian had stated that an audit was being carried out of the services.
Faragher warned: “Sometimes an audit can become an end in itself and I am trying to avoid that happening.”
In response, Christian stated: “I am certainly not the kind of minister that just gets a report and then nothing happens from that. Actions and delivery are really important.”
Crisis Support
The issue was raised at last week’s sitting when Faragher asked Christian whether she intended to strengthen the crisis support team.
The minister said Mental Health Crisis Response Home Treatment Team provided “intensive support for people experiencing acute mental distress or illness”.
She added: “By providing specialist and timely crisis intervention, the team can often prevent the need for hospital admission and where they cannot and admission is required they can co-ordinate that admission and also help to facilitate their discharge.
“Manx Care continues to develop and evolve the crisis response team, as well as supporting the Emergency Department at Noble’s and working with partners who also come into contact with mental health crisis, such as the police, the crisis response team and those preparing to move into new facilities on the Noble’s site that are purpose-designed to provide the best timely experience for those with mental health crisis.”
She said there were moves to enhance provision of psychological therapies in the next financial year, “and this will include crisis response provision, since it is designed to reduce the likelihood of people presenting in crisis”.
Outside Remit
But the minister also acknowledged that there was room for improvement.
“Whilst the crisis response team has functioned well to support the acute mental health crisis, the team have observed that they are often contacted for issues outside of this remit,” she said.
“These include general mental health inquiries, social and practical needs, matters which could be addressed by other departments in Manx Care and across government.”
She said Manx Care had started to audit the requests in detail and use the information to “address” gaps in provision.
The findings would also inform the Mental Health Strategy, which was due in March next year.
Faragher welcomed the commitment and asked for more information about what happened with individuals who called the crisis response team but fell outside of its remit.
“What happens to someone who is struggling, who has reached out for help but they don’t meet the threshold for the service that they approached?” she asked.
Alternative Support
Christian said: “The Crisis Response Team and the treatment team is designed to support people experiencing acute mental distress, illness, where the level of risk is such that hospital admission may otherwise be required.
“But where someone does contact the team who does not meet that threshold for crisis intervention, they should not simply be left without direction.”
They would be “signposted” towards appropriate support and if they were already in contact with the Mental Health Service their key worked would be informed and they would be advised to contact them during normal working hours.
She added: “If they are not currently open to mental health services, they may be advised to contact their GP or, where their needs are assessed as mild to moderate, to self-refer to the Community Wellbeing Service.”
The minister added Manx Care was investigating how and where people may fall through the gaps in service provision.
Is Self-Referral Enough?
Faragher urged the minister to: “Check on that self-referral and consider, herself, whether she feels that is an appropriate response for somebody who has reached out in crisis and is actively seeking help.”
She sought a commitment towards “addressing those gaps that have been identified, rather than redirecting people between existing services”.
Christian replied: “Where the audit identifies gaps, we will consider what changes are needed and whether these can be addressed through existing services, or will require further service development.”
In response to a further question, the minister confirmed the crisis response team provided “24-hour cover, seven days a week”.
If you are struggling with your mental health, click this link for information on some of the services available to help:
Isle of Man Government – Mental Health Service
