PSG Featured in The Independent on the Growing Crisis in Mental Health Support

PSG were recently featured in The Independent in a piece highlighting the urgent need for earlier, stronger community mental health support.

Speaking to the paper, our CEO Sarah Wakeling said: “For too many people, the right help only comes after they’ve reached crisis point. We need to turn that around making sure support is there early, locally, and in a way that fits each person’s needs.”

These words reflect a reality faced by millions across the country. Long waits, limited local services, and a system under strain mean that too often, individuals are left without timely mental health care – sometimes waiting years for treatment to begin. As reported by the Independent, around 1.7 million people are currently waiting for community mental health services, with nearly half waiting more than two years. Behind these statistics are real people and families navigating daily challenges, often reaching crisis before help arrives.

For autistic people in particular, the consequences can be severe. Without timely, tailored support, situations can escalate to the point where hospital admission becomes the only option. Yet hospital environments can be overwhelming and distressing, and are rarely the best place to meet someone’s sensory, emotional, and communication needs.

PSG’s Behaviorally Intensive Community Support (BICS) model, which offers person-centered and holistic community-based support to people with a support need, and our Hospital Discharge service, which helps people avoid prolonged hospital stays and remain in the community, are just some examples of how these solutions can work in practice. By stepping in before crisis, services like these can help people remain in familiar environments, reduce the need for hospital care, and protect long-term wellbeing.

Our inclusion in this article reflects not only the urgency of the issue, but also the role that community-based solutions can play in addressing it. The statistics are sobering, but they point to a clear way forward: investing in timely, local, and compassionate support is essential if we are to create a system where help is available when – and where – it’s needed most.