Improving mental health services

Here is an explanation of our Improving Mental Health theme as set out in Strategic Plan for Fife (2016-19)

Over the last year (2016-17) our multi-agency Mental Health Strategic Implementation Group has taken forward four key strands of work: Anti-Stigma and Early Intervention, Participation and Engagement, Voluntary Organisations and the Stratheden Redesign. The group are actively shaping and influencing the redesign of mental health services to support people’s aspirations, inform our approach to campaigns and identify initiatives to increase access to mental health services. We are working closely with staff from Stratheden Hospital to help support people who have been patients to return to their communities to live safe and active lives.

Key Aims

  • We will continue to shift the balance of care from long stay hospital to community settings.
  • We will challenge stigma.
  • We will develop the outcomes-based approach to include personal, social and clinical outcomes based on what matters to individuals.
  • We will ensure more effective integrated partnership working resulting in clearer pathways facilitating the right support at the right time based on the needs of the individual.
  • We will help people realise their aspirations, offer help when they need it, both in an environment of promoting recovery and sustaining relationships.

What we intend to do

We will focus on:

  • Shifting the balance of care by continuing the redesign work already started at Stratheden Hospital to create additional alternative models of care and crisis response in the community;
  • Training, education and local campaign strategies to ensure that fewer people experience stigma, discrimination and lack of understanding
  • Maximising the participation and inclusion of people with whom we work, together with their carers
  • Promoting more effective partnership working resulting in clearer pathways, facilitating the right support at the right time, based on the needs of the individual
  • We will work with GP practices to enable them to have better access to mental health services
  • Early Years/Children and Young People’s work will continue to have a focus on resilience, parenting and wellbeing aimed at supporting improved mental health and wellbeing throughout the life course.

Impact of what we intend to do (2016-19)

These actions will support and demonstrate progress on:

  • Reducing the need for inpatient care
  • Increased care provision in the community
  • Potential to reduce inpatient capacity
  • Increased choice and control for individuals
  • Increased knowledge and skills of staff to develop the personal outcomes approach within all services.