PRJ-1008-NCL CCG-Camden Crisis Café Service

Descriptions

This service is for the provision of a mental health crisis café service. Crisis Cafés deliver support to those experiencing a mental health crisis. Allowing access often without prior arrangement or wait, they offer a range of holistic support, such as a 'hot drink', a 'listening ear', practical support and quick referral to a mental health assessment if required, all within a safe community environment. They are staffed by specialist mental health practitioners and well-trained peer support workers and volunteers. This service will operate within a wider health and social care system that is experiencing increasing demand for mental health support. It will largely be available out of hours and at weekends for Camden residents and people presenting to Camden services in crisis. The café will enable people to be diverted from local mental health crisis services and acute Emergency Departments (also referred to as A&E), relieving pressure on the wider 'acute' system. It will be integrated with existing statutory crisis, primary care and Resilience Network and voluntary sector services, offering an enhanced non-clinical dimension to the local crisis offer. The service will have strong commitment to work in a way that enables people to have greater control over their health and wellbeing. Those accessing the café will encounter a non-judgemental and friendly environment. Peer support will be an essential component, so that people in mental health crisis can benefit from the insight and understanding of others who have been in similar situations. This will contribute to a sense that users of the service are not facing the crisis on their own and there are others who have experienced this who can offer advice and support. Those in crisis will be supported to better manage their distress, self-care, and resilience, to enable them to access less intensive, restrictive sources of support, such as Resilience Network services, universal offers and peer networks. All of this will be achieved within a high quality, welcoming and accessible setting. The service will be non-stigmatising, safe and provide a positive user experience. Service users have been clear in their feedback that face-to-face interventions within a physical setting are critical during a crisis. The service will prioritise delivery of this support, although will also explore a more flexible, blended offer that will include concurrent methods, such as phone and text support. This specification has been developed with local partners, including NHS organisations, Camden Council, the Voluntary Sector, people with lived experience, carers, and frontline professionals. North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) reserves the right to issue instructions from time to time to amend this specification as necessary to ensure continued service effectiveness and that statutory requirements are met.