Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) have opened The Nook in Glasgow, the first of a national network of walk-in hubs which will provide immediate support for people experiencing mental health problems. The aim of the hubs are to provide barrier-free access to support with a walk-in system meaning no bookings, referrals or waiting lists.
The Glasgow hub is set to be followed by Nooks in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverclyde and Lanarkshire over the next three years. The hub is open seven days a week and anyone looking for mental health support can walk in and speak to the team.
SAMH chief executive Billy Watson said: “This is a hugely significant day for community mental health provision in Glasgow and Scotland, and a proud day for SAMH.
The Nook offers anyone experiencing mental health problems accessible support, and our skilled and compassionate team is ready to welcome visitors. There will be no waiting list, there will be no rejection and no stigma – we’re cutting through the red tape to make it as easy as possible for people to get the help they need.
We know it’s hard enough to ask for help when someone is at their lowest. It takes courage to reach out. When people do so, they should be able to ask once and get help fast. That’s what The Nook is all about.
The Nook is the most ambitious thing we’ve ever done. This is SAMH standing up, taking action, and creating change with a solution that will transform community mental health support.”
Shona Littlejohn, chairwoman of SAMH, said: “Scotland is in a mental health crisis, and The Nook is our bold and innovative response. For far too long, people have been sitting on waiting lists, alone, and unable to access to support they need. This is for them and the tens of thousands of others across Scotland in need of help.
We believe The Nook will truly revolutionise mental health support in Scotland by both delivering walk-in support and inspiring collective action to change the system in the longer term.”
