STAYING WELL, STAYING HOUSED

A safe place to live can change the direction of someone’s life. It offers security, dignity and a place from which to begin again.

But homelessness rarely ends with a front door and a set of keys.

Many people living in YMCA Bournemouth’s supported accommodation have experienced trauma, anxiety, depression, substance dependence, poor physical health and deep isolation. Without the right mental health support, sustaining a home and rebuilding a life can feel overwhelming.

Staying Well, Staying Housed will bring that support to people in a place where they already feel safe.

HELP THAT MEETS PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE

When someone is struggling with their mental health, attending a fixed appointment in an unfamiliar clinical setting is not always possible.

Complicated referral processes, long waiting lists and the fear of speaking to someone new can all become barriers to receiving help. Too often, support only arrives when someone has reached crisis point.

Working in partnership with HealthBus Trust, a CQC-regulated healthcare charity, we want to provide a specialist mental health nurse within YMCA Bournemouth’s accommodation for one full day each week.

Residents will be able to speak with the nurse in familiar surroundings, without the pressure of travelling to an unfamiliar service. Support will be shaped around each person and will include planned appointments, open-door conversations, welfare checks and immediate help during times of distress.

The nurse will provide mental health assessments, therapeutic support, suicide and self-harm prevention, personal safety planning, relapse support and help accessing wider health, recovery and community services.

When trust has been difficult to build, consistency matters. Missing an appointment will not close the door. The nurse will continue to offer support, build a relationship and help each resident take their next step when they are ready.

WE KNOW THIS APPROACH WORKS

An earlier HealthBus service at YMCA Bournemouth showed the difference that bringing specialist care directly to residents can make.

During a typical visit, the nurse provided between six and nine structured resident contacts, alongside crisis interventions and informal conversations. Demand continued to grow until it became difficult to see everyone who needed help during the available day.

Residents were supported to improve their emotional wellbeing, reconnect with family, engage with physical healthcare, reduce their substance use and move towards independent or recovery accommodation.

One resident told the nurse:

A relationship built on trust can be the beginning of lasting change.

WHAT YOUR SUPPORT WILL MAKE POSSIBLE

We need to raise £25,000 to provide this vital service for a further 12 months.

Together, we can provide:

• 48 full days of specialist mental health nursing support;

• at least 300 structured contacts with residents;

• direct specialist support for at least 35 people;

• ongoing therapeutic support for at least 20 residents;

• mental health assessments, care plans and personal safety plans;

• earlier help for people at risk of self-harm, suicide, relapse or crisis; and

• clinical advice and training for YMCA staff supporting residents every day.

THE DIFFERENCE YOUR DONATION COULD MAKE

£25 could contribute towards clinical resources, telephone contact and follow-up support, helping someone remain engaged.

£50 could help provide a mental health assessment, care planning and coordination with other services.

£100 could fund a quarter of a specialist mental health nurse’s day.

£200 could fund half a day of specialist support.

£400 could fund one complete day of mental health nursing at YMCA Bournemouth.

Every gift, whatever its size, will help someone receive compassionate, specialist support before their mental health reaches crisis point.

PLEASE HELP SOMEONE STAY WELL AND STAY HOUSED

Recovery is rarely a straight path. It takes time, patience and the reassurance that someone will still be there when things become difficult.

By supporting Staying Well, Staying Housed, you can help people rebuilding their lives after homelessness receive the care they need to remain safe, sustain their accommodation and move towards recovery and independence.

Most importantly, your kindness will remind someone that they do not have to face mental ill health alone.

Please donate today and share our campaign with your friends, family and colleagues. Together, we can help more people find stability, rediscover hope and build a life beyond homelessness.

If donations exceed the amount needed for this 12-month project, the additional funds will support the mental health, safety and housing stability of people living in YMCA Bournemouth’s accommodation.