Assertive outreach teams

The service is for adults (aged 25+ in Birmingham and 18+ in Solihull)  with the following:

• A severe and persistent mental disorder (e.g. schizophrenia and other major affective disorders) associated with a high level of disability
• A history of high use of inpatient or intensive home based care (for example, more than two admissions or more than six months inpatient care in the past two years)
• Difficulty in maintaining lasting and consenting contact with services

Our specialised functional teams provide a service for difficult to engage service users with severe mental illness often associated with dual diagnosis.

The approach is characterised by working with service users in their own environment. The flexibility of approach allows services to be provided to service users who may not otherwise receive them where they feel most comfortable.

Assertive outreach team staff will expect to see their service users frequently and to stay in contact, however difficult that may be.

Typically, referrals are made from within existing secondary services such as CMHTs, early intervention and forensic teams.

Once a referral has been screened and considered appropriate for the service, an assessment will be made involving the referring service in the process and a period of joint working will take place to ensure safe transfer of care.