Distress Brief Intervention Service
Distress Brief Interventions are a means of providing connected and compassionate responses to people who are experiencing distress.
What is a Distress Brief Intervention?
The DBI service aims to reach people in our communities who are experiencing distress for a variety of different reasons.
These could include social difficulties such as:
- relationship problems,
- anxiety,
- low mood,
- thoughts of self harm,
- thoughts of suicide,
- housing worries,
- money worries,
- employment issues to name a few!
There is no formal diagnosis required to refer to DBI, as it is recognises that anyone can experience distress at any point in their lives, as a response to a multitude of factors.
Who provides DBI?
DBI is a two-tiered service:
- Level 1: Provided by frontline DBI Partners in Primary Care, Police Scotland, Emergency Departments and the Scottish Ambulance Service. The intervention provides a compassionate response to distress, signposting and the offer of a referral to DBI Level 2.
- Level 2: Responding within 24 hours, Penumbra are the designated DBI provider in East Lothian. Penumbra offer supportive intervention focusing on self-management of distress, community-based problem solving, developing distress management tools and signposting to community assets and relevant agencies.
How can I access DBI services?
The Penumbra DBI team support people aged 18-65 in East Lothian.
Appointments are available by referral from the NHS, social work, and other voluntary organisations.
Requesting / accessing Mental Health support
Contact the East Lothian Mental Health Services Telephone Line and talk to trained professionals for information and advice. After an initial discussion, you will be provided with options for how you can be best supported.
The East Lothian Mental Health Support Line is open Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm.
For more information on DBI, please see www.dbi.scot