New men's mental health centre opens in West Country
It's being run by the charity Rethink Mental Illness
Last updated 14th Aug 2024
A mental health charity in the West Country has opened a new crisis centre for men, who are struggling with the effects of emotional distress.
The service in Avonmouth run by charity Rethink Mental Illness provides, they say, not only a safe space, but time away from a potentially stressful home environment, or life circumstances. The charity also hopes to offer a space to recover and the skills to cope in the longer term.
The charity has been commissioned by the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board to run the service in the area, in partnership with the local NHS mental health services.
The idea behind the project is to help recognise that men often face an invisible barrier when it comes to finding the help they need for mental health issues. Rethink say the crisis house provides a supportive space where they can feel safe and understood, allowing them to take positive steps to aid their own recovery.
The house takes in up to ten guests at a time, each with their own en-suite room, and offers a communal garden and indoor spaces, and is staffed 24 hours a day. They also offer therapeutic activities such as cooking, gardening and arts and crafts.
Rethink offers more than 90 mental health services across the UK, which includes support phone lines, crisis houses and residential care facilities. The charity also gives advice to carers about their rights, and how they can better support the vulnerable people around them.
Deborah Stephenson, who is Director of Accommodation Services at Rethink said: “Emotional distress can be a very isolating experience, and men in particular may feel they have nowhere to turn and no-one they can open up to. That’s why we’re so pleased to be working in partnership to meet this need, and our crisis house in Avonmouth is up and running to provide crucial support to men across the area.
"We hope this will give many men in crisis a safe space where they can go to have some respite, receive tailored support and consider their next steps.”
Someone who has lived the experience of using crisis centres in his own life is John Collett. He was involved in the development of the Bristol Men's Crisis House and said: “I’m really pleased to have used my experience alongside experts in mental health to help shape this service for local people. It’s crucial that anyone experiencing mental health crisis gets expert support in a dedicated and safe environment at a time when they are most in need.”
If you want to find out more about Rethink, you can do so via this link.