The new neighbourhood centres will offer walk-in access to support without the need for a referral, bringing mental health services together with local partners including GPs, councils and voluntary sector organisations. Dedicated mental health emergency departments will also provide specialist support in more therapeutic environments for people experiencing a mental health crisis.
Commenting on the announcement, Clare Taylor, Chief Operating Officer at Turning Point, said: "We welcome this significant investment into community mental health support and the ambition to provide earlier help closer to home.
The opportunity now is to ensure these new neighbourhood mental health centres are truly rooted in the communities they serve. To deliver lasting impact, they should be designed with local people and connected to the wider support available through the NHS, local authorities and voluntary sector partners.
Bringing services together in communities has the potential to make it easier for people to get the right support at the right time, while reducing the need for more intensive interventions later on.
The introduction of dedicated mental health A&Es is also a positive step forward. These services will help people experiencing a mental health crisis access support more quickly and in environments specifically designed to meet their needs.
We also welcome the forthcoming findings of the Government's independent review into ADHD and Autism. This presents an important opportunity to ensure these neighbourhood services are inclusive and better able to meet the needs of neurodivergent people from the outset."