Early Intervention Staffordshire

About the service

This service aims to support people who are experiencing their first episode of psychosis for up to three years during the so called ‘critical period’.

The service embraces diagnostic uncertainty with an emphasis on managing symptoms rather than the diagnosis and aims to provide meaningful and sustained engagement based on assertive outreach principles in which reluctance to engage should not lead automatically to case closure.

The team is strongly committed to the recovery model of care where the emphasis is placed on social roles and the service user’s strengths and developmental needs, particularly in education and achieving employment.

The service also aims to provide interventions in the least restrictive and stigmatised setting and work with the service user’s extended social network to provide support and advice.

The service is provided to the population of North Staffordshire, and provides rapid specialist assessment and acceptance to team caseload and a NICE (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) concordant package of care.

The service has expanded our criteria to offer specialist CAARMS (Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States) assessment to identify people at ultra-high risk of developing psychoses and is able to offer a NICE concordant package of clinical support with the aim to prevent or reducing the onset of psychosis.

The first episode psychosis pathway supports people aged 14 to 65 offering an up-to-3-year package of support. The At Risk Mental State service supports people aged 14 to 35 offering support for up to 18 months.

Location

The Hope Centre, Upper Huntbach Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 2BX

The Hope Centre AccessAble