Developing Social Prescribing and Community Referrals for Mental Health
Social prescribing is a mechanism for linking patients in primary care with nonmedical sources of support within the community. These might include opportunities for arts and creativity, physical activity, learning, volunteering, mutual aid, befriending and self-help, as well as support with, for example, benefits, debt, legal advice and parenting problems.
Social prescribing provides a framework for:
· Developing alternative responses to mental distress
· A wider recognition of the influence of social, economic and cultural factors on mental health outcomes across the whole spectrum of disorders
· Improving access to mainstream services and opportunities for people with long term mental health problems
Grapevine Project offers a tiered approached model, not dissimilar from that recommended by NICE in the treatment of a variety of mental health issues. This is best illustrated by the flow chart below:
We welcome dialogue with all stakeholders and have a good working relationship with local GPs,members of the Community Mental Health Team and with the local CAHMS team. Our staff are highly motivated and professionally trained. Our ceo is qualified to PhD level and has numerous counselling and psychotherapy qualifications. If you want to meet with our staff please call 01298 72283 to arrange a meeting.
Our therapeutic classes have a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) basis and are therefore in accordance with the current NICE guidelines for the treatment of depression, anxiety, OCD and schizophrenia.
Grapevine's counsellors use both integrative and person centred approaches. The service is free at source and is not time limited. We currently have access to six therapists.
Referrals can be made by phone or by letter by any health care professional. Alternatively we accept self-referrals and referrals from other agencies.