Crisis Assessment Unit

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The Crisis Assessment Unit (CAU) supports adults experiencing an acute and complex mental health crisis who may require an extended period of assessment and treatment – usually up to 72 hours. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What help can I expect if I’m admitted?

The unit provides assessment rooms and overnight facilities for up to six people in single sex accommodation areas. Each day you will be allocated a worker who will develop a care plan with you, depending on your immediate and longer term needs.

It provides the opportunity for further assessment in a safe environment and allows us the time and space to explore your current difficulties in more depth. Time at the CAU can be mixed with regular activities and time at home.

We will try to help you develop your self-management skills, with a variety of interventions including coping strategies, anxiety management and advice on reducing harm from drug and alcohol use.

Family members, carers and friends can be involved in this process with your permission, wherever possible. If it is appropriate, existing treatments, including medications, can be reviewed.

We will help you plan what type of support may be needed at the end of the assessment period. This could range from any number of options from an inpatient admission, referral to other community mental health support or further support from your GP.

Your choices

If you prefer to work with either a male or female member of staff, wish to have someone with you like family, a carer or friend, or if you need an interpreter, please let us know and we will do our best to meet your needs.

Consent and Confidentiality

We work to professional and national codes of confidentiality that allow the sharing of information within the team and with your GP. Other than this, the only occasions when information can be shared are:

• if you consent
• if there is a significant risk to yourself or someone else
• if we are required to do so by law

Where possible we will inform you if we need to share information.

Who works in the CAU?

Our team includes:

• Mental health nurses
• Occupational therapists
• Approved mental health practitioners
• Social workers
• Psychiatrists
• Support workers
• Harm reduction workers specialising in drug and alcohol addiction.

More information

You can download and print our service user information leaflet. This is also available in other formats and languages.

Referrals

This information is for partners and professionals looking to make a referral to the CAU.

All referrals should be made via our Single Point of Access.