"Post arrest mental health care - We're forever grateful"

I was arrested a few months ago. This was my first time being arrested, and the experience was terrifying, waiting in a cell with no idea of time passing or what was going on. The first person I saw during that day was a staff member from the Liaison and Diversion service, Joanne, who was on call to assess people being processed. She was very nice, non-judgmental, and did a brief assessment with me to get an idea of my current state. We discussed suicidal thoughts and self harming, and she left me with a lot of sites and agencies to contact, which covered pretty much all eventualities. Though I was still scared, the meeting left me feeling much more stable and reassured, and our discussion helped several things fall into place in my mind that led me to realise that addiction was the core of my problem. That alone was a massive benefit to me, leading me to seek out 12 step groups, but the literature she left also led me on to a pilot group therapy course that has been hugely effective and is still ongoing.

Joanne herself maintained regular contact with me and my wife, having sessions with me to monitor my mental health and find things to help improve it. She attended child service meetings, worked closely with my wife, and has generally gone above and beyond in assisting us. Having gone through court now, her professional remit to work with me is over, but she is still happy to be there for us if we need her. All in all, I don't know how we would have dealt with this nightmare situation without her help, and the help of everyone at the Service, and we're forever grateful.