Mental Health
Integrated mental health support closer to home
At Durham Dales Health Federation (DDHF), we are committed to delivering accessible, compassionate, and joined-up mental health support within local communities.
Since 2016, DDHF has worked in close partnership with Tees, Esk andWear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) to provide an integrated Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN) and Primary Care Mental Health Service across the Durham Dales neighbourhood.
A Coordinated Approach to Mental Health Care.
Our integrated model ensures patients receive timely and appropriate support through clear, coordinated pathways between primary care, secondary care, and community services.
The service is designed to:
- Improve access to mental health support within local communities
- Ensure patients are referred to the most appropriate service first
- Support earlier intervention and prevention
- Reduce escalation to crisis services where possible
- Involve individuals fully in decisions about their care
By working collaboratively across organisations and services, we help deliver safe, responsive, and person-centred mental health care.
Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN) Service
Aligned CPNs provide specialist mental health support within GP practice settings across Durham Dales.
The surgery-based model helps improve accessibility for patients while reducing duplication with other community and home visiting services.
Supporting Patients Before Crisis Escalation
The service supports patients who require urgent mental health intervention but may not require support from a Crisis Team.
Mental health assessment and risk management
Clinical advice and support for GP practices
Ongoing treatment support following discharge from secondary care services
Signposting and referral to appropriate community and voluntary sector services
Prescribing advice in partnership with secondary care teams
The team also acts as a vital link between:
- Primary Care services
- Secondary Mental Health Services
- Voluntary and community sector organisations
This integrated approach helps ensure patients receive coordinated and continuous support throughout their care journey.
Responsive Access to Support
The service operates with clear response times to ensure patients can access timely intervention when needed and referrals are accepted directly from GP practices across the Durham Dales locality.
Collaborative Working Across Services
Strong partnership working is central to the success of the service.
DDHF and TEWV work collaboratively with GP practices, community organisations, and wider healthcare partners to ensure seamless care coordination and effective information sharing within agreed governance frameworks.
This includes:
- Integrated multidisciplinary working
- Shared care planning
- Clear referral pathways
- Ongoing communication between providers
- Signposting to additional support services and community resources
Building Stronger Mental Health Support Across Communities
DDHF also supports the delivery of the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme in partnership with TEWV and multi-agency organisations across Durham Dales.
This programme builds on the principles of the Right Care, Right Place approach and focuses on developing innovative local mental health initiatives that improve access, strengthen community support, and enhance patient outcomes.
Through collaboration and service transformation, the programme aims to create more connected, accessible, and preventative mental health support systems for local communities.
Patient-Centred Care
at the Heart of What We Do
We believe individuals should be actively involved in decisions about their mental health care and treatment.
Our services are designed to support people with dignity, compassion, and personalised care that reflects their individual needs, experiences, and goals.
By delivering mental health support closer to home and strengthening collaboration across services, DDHF is helping create a more responsive and integrated approach to mental health care across Durham Dales.