Somerset received trailblazer funding in 2020 to develop and implement new models of community based mental health care, that integrate clinical and voluntary sector provision, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan and the NHS community mental health framework .
An alliance of charities was been formed to develop a bold new community-based mental health support service for Somerset residents which is now known as Open Mental Health. Rethink Mental Illness is the lead accountable body for the delivery of the Open Mental Health contract.
The shared ambition for the Somerset Open Mental Health VCSE Alliance is to ensure that people living with mental illness get the right support at the right time. As well as reducing waiting times for clinical services, it aims to ensure that people can live a full life in their community, accessing housing, jobs or volunteering opportunities, community activities and physical exercise, to help support and improve their wellbeing and quality of life. Services also include measures to improve the experience of people going through a mental health crisis, including community alternatives.
The Alliance is working to create a ‘no wrong door’ approach, meaning that a person’s...