On the 1st September 2020, the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, announced that as part of the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2020/2021. The Distress Brief Intervention Pilot Programme would be further extended across Scotland, for a transition period through to 2024 and thereafter is expected to be fully embedded by NHS Boards across Scotland.
The Scottish Government has been committed to improving the response for people who present to front-line services in distress for some time. In 2017, a pilot programme was started in four areas of Scotland (Lanarkshire, Borders, Inverness, and Aberdeen) called the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme. The DBI programme provides a rapid response to people who present in distress to emergency services but who do not need an emergency response. Front-line services such as police, ambulance, primary care, accident and emergency departments and NHS24, who are trained in DBI, can now help ease the person’s distress and if appropriate refer them to trained third sector provider agencies who will be in contact within 24 hours and offer support over a two-week period to help manage immediate and future distress.
DBI has incrementally built on the vision of connected compassionate support and has been continuously improved, through a large and far reaching national and regional distress collaboration between NHS24, health and social care, Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, Universities & Researchers and third sector partners: Penumbra; Support in Mind Scotland (SiMS); Lifelink; SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health); Lanarkshire Association for Mental Health (LAMH); and the Richmond Fellowship Scotland (TRFS).
Over the last three years, with Scottish Government funding support, the vision, collaborative culture and programme infrastructure has enabled the programme to expand and include young people aged 16 and 17 years, as well as the establishment of an associate programme for other regions of Scotland, such as Moray, to benefit from the learning, knowledge, infrastructure and tools that the programme had developed.
On 14th April 2020, the First Minister announced the expansion and development of the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme into a nationwide response for people presenting in distress to the Mental Health HUB at NHS24 during the COVID 19 pandemic period.
Reacting to the Programme for Government announcement, Kevin O’ Neill, Distress Brief Intervention Programme Manager said: “This is excellent news and will enable DBI to build on its vital work across the next three years to 2024. It provides the landscape for a considered, effective and sustainable transition on the next stage of the DBI journey.
“In reaching this landmark, we are highly sensitive to the fact that this milestone has been reached whilst helping people in distress.
“It is this sensitivity to those in distress that inspires us all to work and grow together to improve the outcomes and experiences of people when they need help most.
“DBI is reaching more and more people. With over 9,000 people helped so far, I know the biggest validation for our incredible front-line and third sector staff comes from seeing the difference they are making to people’s lives day in and day out. But I really hope all who have been part of the development and delivery of the DBI programme at any time, take time to reflect on all that they have achieved to this point. We are inspired to continue to improve and provide the best-connected compassionate support possible, reaching more people and working with new partners.”
