About the Service

Bridging the Gap (BtG) is a community based Intensive Intervention and Risk Management Service (IIRMS), part of the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway. The service provides individually tailored and psychologically informed interventions to high-risk offenders, with Personality Difficulties. Bridging the Gap is located at the Raylor Centre, with client work taking place in Probation offices, Prisons and Probation Approved Premises. The service covers North Yorkshire and Humberside, supporting up to 50 clients for a period of 18 months. The team is made up of varying roles, which can be found in the 'Meet the team' page.

Aims of the service:

• Manage risk of serious harm and reoffending, whilst working with clients to promote psychological well-being, social engagement and success in the community.
• Work collaboratively with the clients Offender Manager and wider care team e.g. Housing workers, Prison offender manager.

Approach:

• Relationships are key to our service and the team aims to build positive, compassionate relationships with the clients from first contact
• Client led sessions and interventions, giving them choice and a voice in their support
• Respectful, safe environment and instillation of hope for the client
• Voluntary service, where clients can opt-out at any time
• Individualised and non-judgemental
• Joint formulation with the client and Offender Manager

Support offered:

• Practical: housing, employment, benefits, daily living skills
• Interventions: Compassion-Focused Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
• Emotional: Developing positive coping mechanisms, learning what contributes to offending behaviour and how to manage this, emotional regulation
• Social: Building positive relationships and social network, helping become involved in community groups