Discharge is discussed from the very beginning; service users are asked what they want to achieve from being at Meridian and everyone works together to develop a plan that can help achieve these key goals.

Our pathway is enhanced by access to our nearby community-focused mental health rehabilitation facility, Cygnet Lodge Lewisham, which enables us to provide an integrated care pathway to reduce lengths of stay and enhance the outcome for service users.

Tom’s Journey

Read about how the team on Meridian Ward helped Tom.

Find out more

Service users can be supported in attending educational courses, and work in local voluntary employment. In this respect the location of the hospital is ideal, being in urban London’s Zone 2, near Greenwich and Deptford. It is also close to local parks and colleges.

The Psychological therapies team at Cygnet Hospital Blackheath provide a comprehensive range of assessments and interventions that simultaneously address mental health issues and facilitate management of risk. Our pathway has three components:

1. Assessment and Stabilisation
2. Exploration and Change
3. Recovery and Maintenance

“I can walk,talk and have a good rapport with staff who trained me not to be anxious.”Service user, Meridian Unit

Interventions focused on the individual’s mental health and on risk / offence are offered, including:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Based Coping Skills
• Offence Chain Analysis
• Good Lives Model
• Substance Use Treatment Programme (SUTP)
• Life Minus Violence – Enhanced (LMV-E)
• Life Minus Violence – Harmful Sexual Behaviour (LMV-HSB)

“You care about me a lot it feels nice, everybody is nice, I feel like I am at home.”Service user, Meridian Unit

Facilities

• En-suite bedrooms
• Gym
• On-ward computer access
• ADL kitchen
• Multi-faith room
• Therapy room