Plans for Gibraltar’s new Community Mental Health Hub have now reached an advanced stage and will be submitted through the Development and Planning Commission as part of the planning process at the end of the month.

The project’s goals are to strengthen community-based mental health provision and create greater access to early intervention, integrated care.

This program is part of the Minister for Health, Care and Business, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, and the Government’s broader commitment to mental health service and overall accessibility to health services.

The plans for the proposed hub were a broad team effort, with effort and input from a wide range of stakeholders, including mental health professionals, the Mental Health Board, the Community Mental Health Team Development Board, unions, members of the wider community through public meetings and the Gibraltar Health Authority Executive Team. The design and overall service model underwent numerous revisions, incorporating feedback from stakeholders.

The facility is intended to support Gibraltar’s evolving model of care by bringing together a range of services in one dedicated community setting focused on overall wellbeing, recognising the importance of both mental and physical health in long-term recovery and prevention.

Services planned within the new hub include the Community Mental Health Team, mental health occupational therapy, talking therapies, drugs and alcohol rehabilitation, psychiatric clinics, the PATHS initiative, GP support, housing outreach services and a range of alternative therapeutic activities such as walking groups, reading groups, gardening and yoga. The facility will also incorporate community-focused initiatives such as a Chatty Café.

The Minister for Health, Care and Business, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said: “Reaching this stage is important because it reflects the extensive engagement that has taken place and our clear determination to improve how mental health support is delivered in Gibraltar.

“This project is about creating a modern community-based environment where people can access support earlier, more easily, and in a way that recognises the full range of needs an individual may have. Although buildings are hugely important, this project is about the model of care that accompanies the new building.

“Mental health is important to every person in our community and is a vital part of our collective wellbeing. Mental health care today must go beyond traditional clinical intervention alone. It must also recognise prevention, recovery, connection and overall wellbeing. That is exactly the direction this new hub is intended to support, bringing services together in a way that is more accessible, more joined-up and better suited to the needs of our community.”