Be OK, our free mental health service for 16-25 year olds in West Sussex, continues to evolve to meet increasing demand and emerging needs. The number of new referrals to the service more than doubled in the year up to April 2021, compared to the previous year.
This service supports young people who are struggling with their mental health in any way, offering one-to-one support from peers and professionals, as well as groups and activities.
Since the pandemic began, we have adapted and moved a lot of our support online. We have actually found that many people who are struggling have found it easier to engage with groups online rather than in-person, and have made our Young Person’s mental health support group weekly instead of fortnightly due to its growing popularity.
An exciting initiative being launched this month is a new peer support group for young people on the autism spectrum. A more formal therapeutic group for those with Borderline Personality Disorder is also planned in the near future.
Rachael Kenny, our Director of Mental Health and Support Services, had this to say about Be OK when she was recently interviewed about the service by BBC Radio Sussex:
What it offers is really flexible support that starts with the young person. It starts with what they’re worried about and what they want to achieve, and works with them to make a plan about building up their resilience and resources to cope with what life throws at them.
A former client of Be OK said:
Thank you for all your help and support. The resources have really helped me start to move forward, appreciate my blessings and be happy with life again.
To find out more about our Be OK service, please click here.
