NHS Hampshire & Isle of Wight has partnered with leading mental health charity Solent Mind to provide an innovative, out-of-hours service which offers video support as part of the Safe Haven offer for individuals struggling with their mental health who need to access support.
This initiative was launched to improve access to mental health services by allowing residents to speak directly with trained peers from The Lighthouse, Solent Mind via video. The Lighthouse is an informal, non-judgemental, out-of-hours mental health service for anyone over the age of 18 who requires short-term crisis support with their mental health. By offering this service outside of standard hours, the partnership ensures that those in need can receive timely support when they need it most.
“Some people feel more comfortable using mental health services from the comfort of their own home, so we decided to launch the video support service in addition to our face-to-face offering. This service ensures we can support as many people as possible, at a time and in a place that suits their needs” said Solent Mind.
The service uses a video consultation platform called SQOD developed by Involve Visual Collaboration, who specialise in secure collaboration solutions for the public sector. Solent Mind, Andover Mind and Southern Health provide the crisis helpline, which can be accessed easily by any device through an online link. This collaboration allows the organisation’s to improve access to their services by offering more choice.
“ SQOD has useful features to support this service, such as the caller arrival alerts, which sends a notification to the peers when someone enters the waiting room to ensure the person in need is not waiting long” said Solent Mind.
The video support offered by the Lighthouse is already being used by over 100 people per month needing urgent mental health support, who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts. With 1 in 4 people suffering with mental health problems according to Mind, easy access to support services is vital.
Residents in Hampshire & Isle of Wight can access the service by clicking ‘Urgent Help’ on the Solent Mind website, and clicking the link under ‘someone to talk to’. The Lighthouse can also be accessed in person for face-to-face support at either their Shirley or Bitterne locations.
