Mental Health and Substance Use case studies and resources

We have developed a range of case studies and resources to help people working in health and social care to better support people with both mental health and substance use conditions.

Lived Experience Engagement overview report

We held interviews and focus groups with over 100 people affected by mental health and substance use. This included:

  • people with lived experience
  • families and carers
  • staff

They had a diverse range of experiences and conditions and came from both rural and urban areas of Scotland.

Read the overview report to find out more.

Case studies

Find out how Rowan Alba, a charity in Edinburgh, added a psychologist from the NHS to their team. The psychologist works inside their hostels, helping people with their mental health in a friendly and flexible way.

Find out how good planning and talking to each other across services can help people get the support they need and make staff feel more confident and supported.

Mental health and substance use interface guidance and case studies

The Mental Health and Substance Use interface guidance development resource identifies key steps and provides guidance on how to develop interface guidance. The learning is drawn from interviews with the areas below on their experiences developing and implementing interface guidance.

The area case studies have been produced from interviews with key stakeholders involved in developing and implementing interface guidance.

Examples of Mental Health and Substance Use interface guidance

Take a look at the existing examples of Mental Health and Substance Use interface guidance.

National Mental Health and Substance Protocol self-reflection tool

The self-reflection tool has been developed to help you think about your current position in relation to the mental health and substance use protocol, and what further developments may be required.

National Mental Health and Substance Use Protocol self-reflection tool