Organisations across Inverclyde have united through Distress Brief Intervention, an innovative programme new to the area, helping Inverclyde locals with crucial mental health support when they need it the most.

Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) provides support to people who are in distress with their mental health and feeling overwhelmed emotionally. This service provides a quick response that listens and supports with a sensitive, caring and non-judgemental approach.

Over up to 14 days, this person-centred programme provides support to identify challenges in a person’s life, as well as what might help now and in the future – including establishing connections with people and organisations within their local community.

SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) is the lead provider for the service in Inverclyde, working closely with the Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership, Primary Care teams, Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Andrea Milligan, Team Leader for the DBI service at SAMH said,

“SAMH has been proud to deliver DBI support across Scotland, and we’re seeing first-hand the real difference it’s making to people in Inverclyde. Over the past few months, we’ve supported over 169 local residents get the support they need and we know we’ll be able to help many more in the coming months.”

The innovative service equips frontline and emergency workers with the right tools, knowledge and partnerships to ensure that they can connect a person in distress with the support they need.

The DBI programme ensures that frontline workers and charities can work together to put the needs and interests of a person in distress first, eliminating the red tape which can sometimes make multi-agency support difficult to establish under normal circumstances.

Councillor Robert Moran, Inverclyde’s Health and Social Care Convener, said,

“Around one in four of us will experience a mental health issue at some point in our lives so it’s vital that when this happens people have access to the right treatment and support to help them recover as soon as possible.

“DBI is a valuable addition to the mental health support services available in Inverclyde being delivered by Inverclyde HSCP and Inverclyde Council. The programme plays a key role in ensuring that individuals experiencing distress who are referred to the service are given a compassionate, caring and timely response.”

Paul Cameron, Chief Inspector and Inverclyde Area Commander at Police Scotland said,

“As the Area Commander for Inverclyde, I am delighted we have introduced the DBI process. I am committed to this new service and will ensure all operational officers are fully trained in the referral process. This is a service that meets the needs of people in crisis, working with the DBI process will enhance our ability to keep people safe.”

DBI began in 2017 as a pilot programme in four areas, funded by the Scottish Government. Since then, the programme has been expanded to additional associate sites including Inverclyde. The Scottish Government has committed to rolling the programme out to all NHS Board areas by 2024.

Minister for Mental Wellbeing & Social Care, Kevin Stewart, said,

“Distress Brief Intervention is an innovative programme which provides vital support to people experiencing emotional distress. It is a crucial part of the wide range of actions we are taking to improve public mental health and wellbeing.

“The DBI associate site in Inverclyde will help us in our work towards expanding this programme across Scotland by 2024.”

Frontline colleagues across Inverclyde are now being incrementally trained to be able to refer people to DBI, where it is considered appropriate, enabling more people to benefit from connected compassionate support. In addition, anyone aged 16 and over who contacts NHS24 in distress and where DBI is felt to be the right response can be referred to DBI by NHS24 colleagues. For more information on DBI, please visit www.dbi.scot.