New out of hours mental health crisis prevention service launches in Crawley

Staying Well Crawley located two minutes walk from County Oak Retail Park, will be a calm and welcoming environment for anyone struggling with their mental health or at risk of going into crisis.

The service will provide access to mental health support in a safe environment outside normal office hours.

Health care professionals will be there to identify and support people’s needs. Peer Support Volunteers will also be on hand to support people based on their own lived experiences.

Staying Well is located at Arundel House in Crawley and can be accessed 365 days a year with free parking during opening hours.

It is open from 5pm to 11pm Monday to Friday and 3pm to 11pm on weekends and bank holidays.

This service is available to adults over 18 years of age and people can make an appointment themselves or be referred by someone who supports them.

Staying Well Crawley will be a drop-in service, however due to the current COVID-19 restrictions in place, it will start with an appointment system to keep people safe and allow for hygiene- and social distancing measures to be followed.

The service will be delivered by Richmond Fellowship, a national mental health charity with over 60 years experience, and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust who provide mental health and learning disability services across Sussex and Hampshire.

Derek Caren, Chief Executive of Richmond Fellowship said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for both the team and people we support in Crawley and we have created a peaceful environment tailored specifically for the people that we support.

"I’d also like to personally thank Green Team Interiors Ltd for their generous donation of statement plants which has helped the development and design of the service into a serene space where people can come to find support and advice”

Jason Collins, Richmond Fellowship Service Manager of Staying Well added: “I am delighted to be part of this project and we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of many companies in creating this unique environment and I would also like to thank FastSigns Crawley, for assisting us with fabulous new signage, Blooming Artificial, Arlo Holdings Ltd and NAM Building Contractors.”

Clare Stoneman, Service Manager for Liaison and Triage services in acute at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Richmond Fellowship to deliver this new service to the local population.

"We aim to offer a therapeutic intervention in a safe space that will allow anyone that attends the opportunity to discuss their thoughts and feelings and gain further skills in managing their own recovery goals.

"Our clients are experts in their own mental health needs and our team will work alongside them, encouraging them to build on their own strengths to promote their independence.”

Clinical Lead for West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Dr Bikram Raychaudhuri, added: “We are absolutely committed to making sure we commission mental health services that support people when they need it most.

"For people struggling with their mental health and needing support outside of the hours 9-5, it can sometimes be a challenge to access help.

"This new service shows that even in times of change and uncertainty we can commission and create new initiatives that support our communities and that is something we as a CCG are really proud of.”