The Learning Disability Crisis Response Team is a specialist service offering targeted support to Adults with a Learning Disability within the Southern Trust area. The service provides support to such individuals who present with mental ill health and/or behaviours that challenge. They will also support clients and their families in Acute hospital settings e.g. Emergency Department. Following assessment it may result in an acute psychiatric admission, and this team hold a gatekeeping role for the learning disability acute psychiatric ward. Crisis Response aim to enable these individuals to remain in their homes and support both them and their carers.
Crisis Response endeavours to respond to referrals within one hour and will complete an assessment on the person in a crisis situation e.g. mental ill health or challenging behaviours. Staff will remain with the service user in crisis until a resolution can be met or appropriately planned for.
On occasions it will be identified that a service user requires more intensive support following on from the initial crisis point. At this point Home Treatment can be offered to offer further support.
Where the need is more acute and cannot be met by Home Treatment intervention, Crisis Response staff will liaise with hospital staff, Out of Hours social work/GP etc. to facilitate admission where appropriate.
The team consists of practitioners from a nursing and social work background and support staff.
The service also runs outside or normal working hours offering support from 9am – 1am, 365 days a year.