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.”

We encourage you to become more independent and therefore live a more fulfilling lifestyle by providing:

  • Wellbeing and healthy living advice
  • Social inclusion and activities in the local area
  • Holistic therapies

We provide breakfast, lunch and refreshments throughout the day. You are able to approach staff for 1:1 support as required between the group sessions.

The groups we teach include:

  • Emotion regulation
  • Mindfulness
  • Crisis skills
  • Self-compassion
  • Social skills
  • Problem solving
  • Self-soothe
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Sleep hygiene techniques

We have various in house activities you can do to promote recovery, such as arts and crafts, relaxation, games and we have a quiet room you can use if you need time to yourself.

If you are likely to be admitted to hospital, you can request that you attend ATS instead. Similarly, if you are already in hospital you could request that you attend ATS as a means of being discharged from hospital sooner.

Your care team can refer you to us by telephone. The ATS team will consider if the service is able to support you at this time and, if appropriate, make arrangements for you to start.

You will be telephoned by a member of the ATS team in the two working days before you start so to give you the opportunity to ask questions and for the team to explain what you need to know about the service prior to starting.

Contact Details

East Lancashire

Bridge House
Duckworth Street
Whalley Banks
Blackburn
Lancashire
BB2 1NT

Telephone: 01254 612 624

Central Lancashire

Timber House
Guild Park
Whittingham Lane
Preston
PR3 2JH

Telephone: 01695 684 114

North Lancashire

Gateway Centre
The Stadium
Seasiders Way
Blackpool
FY1 6JX

Telephone: 01253 951 786