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Crisis services and planning for a crisis

This guide explains what mental health crisis services are available, how they can help and when to access them. It also explains how you can plan for a crisis. If you're feeling in crisis right now, see our emergency advice.

What are crisis houses?

Crisis houses offer intensive, short-term support to help you manage a mental health crisis in a residential setting, rather than in a hospital.

This page covers:

When should I use a crisis house?

As an alternative to going into hospital, for example if you don't feel safe at home overnight, or things at home are contributing to you being in crisis.

How could it help me?

Crisis houses can vary and offer slightly different services. However, they usually offer:

  • overnight accommodation
  • a small number of beds
  • a home-like environment
  • intensive treatment.

Crisis house, sanctuary or safe haven?

Services with these names can be very similar. The main difference is that crisis houses usually offer overnight accommodation with a bed for you to sleep in.

Services described as sanctuaries or safe havens usually don't provide somewhere to sleep or live in. But they might be open overnight as a supportive place for you to go during a crisis.

How can I access it?

Crisis houses might be run by the NHS, independent organisations such as charities, or both of these together – so they're often free to use. If you find a private crisis house you want to access, it's best to check if there are any costs involved.

To use a crisis house, you'll usually need to be referred by a mental health professional, although some let you refer yourself. The staff will also need to assess you, to make sure it's the right place to help you.

When assessing you, they might consider:

  • the length of stay you'll need
  • the type of mental health crisis you're experiencing
  • your willingness to keep to their house rules (such as rules about drug use or how you behave towards other residents)
  • your background – some crisis houses are set up to help specific groups (such as women or people who are also struggling with drug addiction).

Crisis house support [was] relatively helpful, and was there 24/7. Unfortunately [where I went] you can only stop 14 days.

Is there a crisis house or sanctuary near me?

We've listed some details of crisis houses and sanctuaries. Unfortunately there are a very limited number around England and Wales, and there might not be one near you – but this isn't an exhaustive list and you may be able to find others we haven't included.

  • Mind doesn't endorse any particular crisis house or sanctuary, including those listed on this page. We have no knowledge of their services or performance.
  • It's up to you to decide if the crisis house or sanctuary you're considering is appropriate for you, and whether you're comfortable with their rules, approach and treatments.
  • Many of these services may need a referral from a community mental health team (CMHT) for you to access them.

Multiple locations

Birmingham and Solihull

Bradford

  • The Cellar Trust safe spaces – provides urgent, same day support for people experiencing a mental health crisis. Young people (ages 7 to 17) can stay overnight, while adults (aged over 18) can find daytime support. Contact 0800 952 1181 or 08001 884 884 and ask for 'safe spaces' to get an appointment. 

Brighton

Bristol

Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan

  • Linden House – based in Cardiff and open to residents of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Offers a therapeutic alternative to hospital for people who are experiencing distress or crisis. Referrals can only be made through the Cardiff and the Vale Crisis Team. 

Derbyshire

  • Trevayler Crisis House – short-term residential support for people in mental health crisis. You need to be referred to this service by a crisis resolution and home treatment team.

Dorset

  • Recovery houses – accommodation in Poole and Weymouth supporting people in mental health crisis who don't need hospital treatment. Access to these services needs referral from home treatment teams. 

Exeter

  • Redhills House – short-term accommodation for people in mental health crisis. The Exeter, east and mid-Devon home treatment team can assess whether to refer you to this service. 

Hastings, Rother and Eastbourne

  • Hastings Sanctuary Service – community-based mental health crisis unit. You need to be referred by a mental health professional.

Hertfordshire

  • Nightlight Crisis House – provides short-term, overnight accommodation in Hemel Hempstead for people in mental health crisis. You can call this service on 01923 256391 (option 3) to speak to the team about referring yourself. Or you can be referred by your GP or mental health team. 

Hull

  • The Crisis Pad – non-residential, overnight safe space for people experiencing a mental health crisis. Contact the Humber NHS trust's mental health advice and support line on 0800 138 0990 to ask about referral to this service. 

Lancashire

  • Oak House – offers short-term placements in Burnley for people experiencing mental health crisis. Referrals must come from the Burnley and Pendle home treatment team. 
  • Willow House – crisis house in Coppull, central Lancashire offering short-term placements for mental health crisis. You can speak to your GP about referral to this services, or call Willow House on 0330 008 3677.

Leeds

Leicester

Lincolnshire

  • Witham Bank – residential mental health service in Boston. You must be referred by the Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust Crisis Resolution and Home treatment team.
  • White Gables – residential mental health service in Lincoln. You must be referred by the Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust Crisis Resolution and Home treatment team.

London

Manchester

  • Manchester Crisis Point – short-term residential mental health service for people suffering mental distress aged 18 and over and living in Manchester. Contact the service on 0161 238 5149 for more information.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  • Mental health rehabilitation and crisis flats – flats provided by Newcastle city council to support people experiencing mental health crisis. You'll need to be referred by a crisis home resolution team or care coordinators. 

Newport

  • Ty Cynnal – short-term crisis house for anyone in mental health crisis. You need to be referred to this service by crisis resolution and home treatment teams in Newport, Torfaen or Caerphilly. 

Norfolk

  • Holly Tree House – short-stay recovery house from Norfolk and Waveney Mind, providing a safe environment for people in mental health crisis. You need to be referred by a crisis resolution home team to access this service. 

Northamptonshire

  • The Warren and The Martins – NHS crisis houses in Northampton and Rushden, providing a safe environment for adults in a mental health crisis. You can only access this service by referral from a healthcare professional. 

Nottinghamshire

  • Haven House – offers residential support for up to 7 days if you're experiencing a mental health crisis. You must be referred by City and County South Enhanced Crisis Resolution Home Treatment team (ECRHT).
  • Nottinghamshire Crisis Sanctuaries – non-residential mental health sanctuaries in 4 locations around Nottinghamshire. You can refer yourself to these services by calling 0330 822 4100, or travel to any of the services in person. 

Staffordshire

  • Cannock Brendan House – short-term crisis house in Cannock, providing support to people in mental health crisis. Referral to this service can from from mental health professionals, social workers, GPs or community day service managers.

Surrey

  • Crisis overnight support service – short-term, overnight accommodation for people experiencing a mental health crisis. This service can only be accessed via referral from home treatment teams.

Sussex

  • Staying Well – out-of-hours crisis prevention service in Worthing, from West Sussex Mind. Offers a safe alternative for people in crisis who might otherwise go to A&E. Available at evenings and weekends. You will need to pre-arrange your visit on the day you hope to attend. You can arrange your visit by calling Staying Well on 01903 268107 or emailing [email protected].

Wiltshire

  • Hope House – short-term residential service in Chippenham to support people in mental health crisis. You must be referred to this service by  mental health intensive support team. 

Winchester

  • The Lookout – short-term supported accommodation for for adults who need mental health support. You must be referred by your GP, a wellbeing centre or community mental health team, via a crisis resolution at home treatment team.

This information was published in October 2018.

This page is currently under review. All content was accurate when published. 

References and bibliography available on request.

If you want to reproduce this content, see our permissions and licensing page.

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