The Staying Well service offers a safe, supportive environment for adults aged 18 and over who need urgent mental health help.
It is designed as an alternative to attending hospital accident and emergency departments, helping reduce pressure on A&E while providing specialist care.
One of the service’s peer support workers, Leanne Nagle, first accessed Staying Well as a service user. Living with depression, anxiety and ADHD, she says the experience helped her better understand her mental health and motivated her to support others.
After receiving help herself, Ms Nagle decided to train as a peer support worker so she could give back. She says many of the people who attend the service are neurodivergent and benefit from reassurance and understanding.
“I’ve got lots of information and my biggest thing is for them to look at it as a superpower
and not to look at it in a negative.”
She encourages individuals to view neurodivergence in a positive way, focusing on strengths rather than challenges, and helps them access information and support tailored to their needs.
According to the NHS, Staying Well is open to anyone who identifies themselves as being in a mental health crisis. This includes people who feel unable to cope, are distressed, or are worried about their own or someone else’s safety.
NHS figures show that more than 1,000 people each month attend A&E departments across Sussex for urgent mental health support, highlighting the growing demand for accessible community-based services like Staying Well.
