Acute Therapy Service

The Acute Therapy Service (ATS) offers a 6 day intensive support programme in the community. This service supports people aged 16+ during a mental health crisis by providing an alternative to hospital admission and/or facilitating early discharge from hospital.

The ATS is a psychologically led programme and is based upon the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) model, DBT principles underpin all aspects of the programme service. In the 12 months following the start of the Pilot, ATS was found to prevent further admissions in around 85% of service users who used it.

Our service is a place where you can engage with specific psychological interventions that will help you to manage your emotions. We will provide you with a safe and friendly environment with positive and supportive staff. We will teach you about your emotions, because the research indicates that being able to understand our emotions helps us to be more able to regulate them. We will support you and teach you skills to help regulate your emotions during times of distress to help you get through these difficult times.

Feedback from a carer:

“I preferred my wife to be at ATS rather than in hospital. It meant she could be home with me each evening and she taught me the skills she had learnt. This enabled me to help her better when she went into a crisis and I felt I was contributing towards her recovery.”