EMERGE Leeds: Complex Emotional Needs Service

Care coordination offers the opportunity for those using our services to develop a trusting relationship with a member of our team, so they can consider together how their care is provided.

Care coordination within our service is psychologically informed. Psychological understanding, or formulations, shape the aim and focus of a person’s work with EMERGE Leeds, and also inform any interventions, such as peer support and youth work, as well as occupational, psychological and creative therapy.

Watch the following video to find out more.

The service is for young people aged 18-25 who have complex emotional needs. Sometimes this is described as a “personality disorder” or “emerging personality disorder”. We acknowledge that for some young people this is a term they associate with and choose to use when describing themselves. However, we know for many the term is experienced as invalidating and stigmatising.

It is important to us that we use language that fits and “makes sense” to each young person. Equally, we aim to understand each young person as an individual, recognising the importance of the impact of their life experiences on their distress and ways of coping and surviving.

To access this service, a young person must meet the criteria for intervention from a Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) in Leeds. Our CMHTs accept referrals for service users with substantial and complex mental health needs which include significant cognitive, emotional and behavioural problems associated with a mental health diagnosis. If you’d like to read the criteria for intervention from a CMHT in full, you can find this on their service page.

We believe our services can improve the health and lives of young people, where often, as a consequence of adverse life experiences:

• there is a significant pattern of difficulties in relationships – these are long standing and persistent (e.g. not in the context of current or immediate stressors or events), and may be enduring without intervention at this stage
• there are persistent difficulties in coping with distress and managing emotions
• ways of coping and surviving tend to result in risk either to themselves or others

Young people also:

• are assessed as ‘cluster 7 or cluster 8’ via the Mental Health Clustering Tool (MHCT)
• have problems that might be described as “substantial and complex mental health needs” that cannot be met by primary care, the Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service or other community services

To access this service, a young person must meet the criteria for intervention from a Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) in Leeds. Referrals should be made via the relevant CMHT using the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Single Point of Access (SPA).

Young people will meet with CMHT staff to consider their suitability for our young adults pathway, alongside a wider assessment of their needs and options for support and intervention.

Referrals that involve a transition from Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) will be discussed with the young person, Community Mental Health Team and CYPMHS staff and a decision reached as to the most appropriate pathway for the young person. Where it is agreed, the young person’s care will transfer directly to EMERGE Leeds.

Download our referral guidance document for staff.