After the success of the project in Derwentside, which was launched in October 2022, we’re really pleased to share that the DBI service has now also launched in County Durham.
The DBI will provide immediate mental health support to over 650 people every year. This support is so valuable, helping to support people in the moment when they are distressed, and also with their mental health in the future.
When our trained colleagues receive a referral to this service, they contact the person within 24 hours to provide practical support, a listening ear, techniques to cope, and help to build connections in the local community.
In the Derwentside DBI service, which launched in October 2022, we received 388 referrals, with 58% of those people no longer needing further support. 79% of people felt that their distress levels decreased.
Our first DBI service also saw 246 front-line workers trained to identify people that would benefit from a more specialised form of support, such as crisis planning, training around domestic violence, and trauma-informed care.
Tracy Bruce, our Head of Community and Crisis Services here at Everyturn, commented:
“We’re delighted to be expanding the DBI service across County Durham – the work done in Derwentside in training frontline staff and providing immediate support for people in distress has been transformative.”
“Our continued work with TEWV NHS Foundation Trust will be vital in ensuring that there will be less pressure being placed on existing services and that more people can receive mental health support sooner.”
Dr Sheryl Elliott, principal applied psychologist at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, commented:
“We are proud that when the DBI service launched in 2022, we were, and still are, the only NHS Trust in England to deliver this service.
“It’s really exciting for the region that the service has extended to the whole of County Durham, where we can ensure mental health support is available to more people in their communities, when they need it.”