Adults in Surrey and North East Hampshire under the care of our trust can now benefit from additional emotional support in between appointments thanks to a new partnership with Guildford Samaritans.
The innovative, new approach with the suicide prevention charity is for people using the trust’s Mind Matters Surrey Talking Therapies service and those receiving support from the trust’s primary care mental health service. This is a new mental health service available via all local GP practices, known as GP Integrated Mental Health Service in Surrey and Mental Health Integrated Community Service in North East Hampshire.
The extra support is helpful for people who would benefit from extra time to discuss how they are feeling and to ensure they remain supported in between appointments.
It is provided in addition to the support from the trust's services.
A referral to Samaritans is agreed between the mental health service and the person being referred. Calls are not time limited and can be scheduled at a time that is convenient for the referred person, including at night and at the weekend. A trained Samaritans listening volunteer will contact the person and may offer follow-up calls if the person feels they would benefit from more contact. Only the person’s first name and contact number are shared by our services with Samaritans to protect anonymity.
The project has had fantastic feedback from people who use our services.
One person who received the additional support said: “I felt relieved and able to let it out. I felt much lighter after speaking to someone from Samaritans.”
Another person said: “It was very helpful to know that someone was going to call while I was waiting for my next appointment. I felt that I was being held during a really difficult few days.”
Professional Lead for Lived Experience Development, Colette Lane, who helped to develop the project, said: “It’s been so rewarding to hear such positive feedback. This project is about working in partnership to increase the support available to people who are on a journey towards recovery.”
Heather Fisk, branch director of Guildford Samaritans, said: “Through this collaboration, we have made calls to nearly 270 people who are struggling with their mental health. We have received much positive feedback, with many expressing how grateful they are for the call from Samaritans.
“Talking about what you’re going through, and being listened to in a non-judgemental space can be life-saving. We’re proud to be involved with this project."