Mixed messages
This is what the service is advertised as on the nsft website: “First Response is a 24/7 helpline offering immediate advice, support and signposting for people with mental health difficulties.If you are experiencing something that makes you feel unsafe, distressed or worried about your mental health you can now call the helpline on 0808 196 3494. The helpline is available to members of the public of any age, regardless of whether they are an existing NSFT service user. The line is also open to other healthcare professionals, such as ambulance staff and GPs, as well as social care colleagues and police personnel who may need advice when working with individuals who are undergoing mental health difficulties or may wish to refer someone.” What it fails to inform you is that this telephone service is infact a crisis line to triage mental health for the crisis team and if you are not deemed with having a crisis you will not get any support. Now I have questioned the wording on the Nsft’s website as being slightly complacent in truths and misleading, however I would say good and bad have come from this service personally some call handlers clearly need more training, some are ridged in fitting callers into a medical model and some have very good skills and knowledge. Although I understand they cannot treat me, I have struggling with a level of expectations being managed by myself and the service on offer as it is slightly confusing and abstract within its context, however some people have been unduly discharged from IDT services into digital service such as FRS and MiND connect and clearly people’s complex needs will not be met through these digital services. However, we have to remember it is not the call handlers fault only the decisions made by IDTs to discharge people into counterproductive digital services which is questionable. I think the covid pandemic has made the trust reinvent the wheel of services with out first thinking of the best interests of individuals care pathways taking the humanity away leaving the cold uninspiration of a short phone call the services should be a added addition to IDT services accessing to psychological services and treatments for complex needs not the only resource for someone struggling with significant challenges of Neurodevelopmental disability and co morbid mental health difficulties which under the NICE guidelines does not state treat with a limited resource triaging digital service. Like I say, it’s been challenging in its usage because of these reasons but this is about service provision and this trust is not great at that at the best of times. And I am sure that others will have differing experiences and in certain circumstances this service will prove a welcome addition to the trust for others who feel a crisis triage service is helpful in a crisis triage situation . Rather than a situation of complex needs needing longer term more complex treatment levels from consultant led clinicians . Shame the trust treat everyone as having the same needs and it’s not individualised but that’s IDT decisions not the FRS , frustrating all round