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Helping People Get Better
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Early Detection and Intervention Team

The Birmingham Early Detection & Intervention Team (ED:IT) was created in January 2002 as part of the Birmingham Early Intervention Service to provide assessment, intervention and psychological treatments to young people identified as being at high-risk of developing serious mental health problems and is one of the first such services operating in the UK.

Based in an inner-city community setting, ED:IT employ a multi-disciplinary team of psychologists, nursing and vocational staff and receive referrals from across the city,

The ED:IT approach has three interrelated aspects that combine to give a comprehensive approach to identification, treatment and education:

  • Clinical services

  • Mental health promotion activities

  • Ongoing research and evaluation

Approaches to treatment include:

  • A flexible therapeutic approach
  • Holistic packages of care individually tailored for young people
  • ED:IT clients’ goals identified and achieved through cognitive-behavioural therapy
  • A unique therapeutic approach, incorporating client’s individual cultural background, life experiences and level of development
  • Setting objectives to minimise client’s risk of progressing to severe mental illness and to improve their quality of life
  • Up-to-date evidence-based care (utilising NICE guidelines and National Service Frameworks)
  • Enabling ED:IT clients to access young people’s services with the aim of increasing self-efficacy

Staff have also developed a range of mental health promotion activities and materials including a website, short films and educational workshops for staff who work with young people as well as for schools and colleges.

For more information check out our Youthspace website.

We are also involved in several important national and international research strategies related to early detection and reduction of treatment delays.

Service-users are involved in many aspects of service development and are currently involved in a number of activities including interview panels for ED:IT staff, developing media based educational materials and an ongoing forum to discuss and help plan future directions and initiatives for the service.

From an evaluation of service-users  views of the service, comments from service users include:

  • “Having someone to contact when you’re lost has been brilliant”
  • “I’m really glad that the service exists – I really felt listened to”
  • “ED:IT has supported me and helped me to achieve my goals”

We believe that the ED:IT assertive outreach service is a dynamic and highly innovative addition to the current best practices in treating and preventing the development of serious mental illness in young people in the UK.