Children’s Commissioner for Wales visits mental health centre in Carmarthen

THIS World Mental Health Day, we were pleased to welcome the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Rocio Cifuentes, to our innovative mental health centre in Carmarthen.

It is Wales’s first mental health crisis hub for children and young people who are in need of urgent support and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service has received funding through the Co-operation Agreement between Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

The Bro Myrddin Wellbeing Hwb provides round-the-clock bespoke mental health provision for children and young people in the right environment, at a time when they need it most. Bro Myrddin provides a safe space for children and young people who present in crisis, preventing distressing and unnecessary admissions to A&E and mental health wards.

Dedicated therapeutic and clinical practitioners will work with children and young people to provide solution focussed interventions, to de-escalate and avoid the need for referral to Secondary Mental Health services, in a calming and safe environment.

Dr. Warren Lloyd, Associate Medical Director, said: “We are incredibly proud of this initiative which provides a bespoke service for children and young people who are in crisis. The service will ensure that young people are receiving the right levels of support when need it most.’’

Alongside the new Carmarthen-based Hwb, the Health Board has collaborated with MIND Pembrokeshire and Adferiad to deliver children and young people’s Sanctuary Services in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. Services operate Friday – Sunday from 17:00 – 22:00 providing a safe place for those aged 12 – 18 years who present in crisis or in mental health distress.

The Health Board has a range of mental health support services available for children and young people, more information can be found here: Specialist child and adolescent mental health service (sCAMHS) – Hywel Dda University Health Board (nhs.wales)