At least one in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives and one in six people will have a mental health problem at any given time. Approximately 17% of people in East Riding of Yorkshire, have an emotional or mental health condition that would benefit from an intervention. In addition, there are areas with higher than national averages of older residents and those with long term or complex needs, many of which live in relatively small and isolated communities, compounding their access to some services.
Connect Health, a leading provider of community services including mental health, MSK (musculoskeletal), chronic pain and rheumatology care, has been successfully awarded a new Talking Therapies – formerly known as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) – contract with Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust.
Commencing on 1 April 2022, the 3-year contract will serve the population of East Riding, offering a wide range of therapies and counselling services for people with depression, anxiety disorders, comorbid long-term physical health conditions (LTCs) or medically unexplained symptoms (MUS).
Commenting on the new service, Natalie Belt, Mental Health Primary Care Network Lead/Service Manager, Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust said
I’m delighted that Connect Health will be supporting the people of East Riding with evidence-based psychological therapies. Mental health is as significant as physical health, so it was important to expand this area of service provision and Connect Health has shown it is more than capable of supporting us to meet these challenges. Innovation, infrastructure and a desire to work in partnership came through very strongly in their proposal and we look forward to working together.
The Talking Therapies programme began in 2008 and has transformed the treatment of adult anxiety disorders and depression in England. The primary aim of the Talking Therapies service is to improve the individual’s wellbeing and their ability to manage their emotional distress and life’s pressures. This is achieved by empowering them to easily access good quality therapy services that will meet their needs in line with national guidelines and clinical best practice.
Shazna Khanom, Director of Mental Health services, Connect Health added
We are thrilled to have been awarded this new Talking Therapies contract to deliver high quality services to meet the needs of the local people in East Riding. This service joins our existing Talking Therapies partnership work in Hertfordshire to improve the mental wellbeing of individuals and broaden our offering as a multi-disciplinary community services provider. We are confident that this new service will lead to further expansion in the field of Talking Therapies in the future.
Services will be delivered using a stepped-care model, which works according to the principle that people should be offered the least intrusive intervention appropriate for their needs first. Connect Health has experience in delivering high quality interventions using a variety of methods of engagement and delivery including face to face, digital and telephone.
Connect Health prides itself on the ability to integrate into local services seamlessly, providing the full pathway of care for patients, based on experience of working with more than 50 health partners nationwide to deliver community services.
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