Published on:
20
April 2006
Carsebridge House, the new base for mental health day services in Clackmannanshire, will be officially opened by Provost Derek Stewart tomorrow.
Situated within Carsebridge Court, Alloa, the House is the new headquarters of Devon House, the Phoenix Centre and the Skills Training Service.
You are invited to attend the official opening of Carsebridge House by Provost Derek Stewart on Friday 21st April from 12.30-2.30pm.
Provost Stewart said: "I am delighted to open this new facility. As an authority we have a duty to ensure that vulnerable members of the community receive the best care possible. I understand that the integrated mental health day service has already led to service improvements and I am sure this new facility can only help us to respond to the areas of greatest demand."
Clackmannanshire Integrated Mental Health Day Services, a partnership between the Council and Forth Valley NHS, was set up in 2003. The service allows a joint approach to mental health care with a collective response to local need.
This Service was developed further with the pioneering step of establishing Scotland's first pooled budget earlier this year. This involves the partner's budgets being amalgamated to meet service needs.
This new base will lead to further integration and improved joint working.
Service Manager Jane Menzies said: "We are one system with one goal, working to identify and meet local needs. The multi-agency building means we can manage resources more effectively and work on areas such as prevention and recovery, as well as treatment."
The Phoenix Centre offers therapeutic group opportunities, ranging from long term support to time limited structured interventions such as anxiety management and assertiveness skills. The Skills Training Centre offers pre-vocational activities and supported access to education and employment including the attainment of SVQ qualifications.
The new building has allowed co-location with the Council's voluntary sector partner Devon House, a Scottish Association for Mental Health service. Devon House works on a clubhouse type approach, offering a work structured day to service users, who play an active part in the running of the service.
The services within Carsebridge specialise in recovery, in assisting individuals to retain independence and to continue to play a valuable part in their local communities.
Since the integrated service was established there has been a higher level of user involvement and the time taken to access services has improved significantly. The integration has also led to better staff training opportunities.