Penumbra Mental Health

13/10/2026

We're grateful to Maggie Chapman MSP for recognising the impact of Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) Dundee and lodging a motion in the Scottish Parliament marking five years of the service.

Over the last five years, DBI Dundee has supported 3,195 people experiencing distress, providing compassionate, person-centred support when it was needed most. This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our Peer Practitioners, partners and everyone involved in delivering the service.

At the heart of DBI Dundee is the power of lived experience, connection and hope. Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey so far. 💛

Penumbra Mental Health DBI Dundee has supported 3,195 people experiencing distress over the past five years. That’s 3,195 people who needed someone to listen and help them through a difficult time.

I’ve lodged a motion recognising the brilliant work of Penumbra’s peer practitioners and everyone involved in the service. Lived experience matters, and this is a powerful example of what compassionate, person-centred support can do.

12/10/2026

Important Update from Edinburgh Crisis Centre

From 26 October, there will be changes to how the Edinburgh Crisis Centre provides crisis support.

The service will continue to offer compassionate, person-centred support for people experiencing mental health crisis, but will move from a 24-hour model to an out-of-hours service.

New opening hours:
🕔 Monday to Thursday: 5pm to 7am
🕔 Friday 5pm to Monday 7am (continuous weekend support)

During these hours, support can be accessed through:

📞 Helpline: 0808 801 0414
💬 Text: 07974 429075
📧 Email: [email protected]

Support may also lead to an in-person or virtual appointment where appropriate.

If you require crisis support Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, please contact your GP or NHS 24. If you believe you are at immediate risk of harm, call 999 or attend your nearest Emergency Department.

The Edinburgh Crisis Centre is facing some changes to how we provide crisis support.
From Monday the 26th of October, you will still be able to access crisis support from us, but it will be provided on an ‘out of hours’ basis, moving away from our previous 24hr offering.
You will be able to access support from the service during the following times.
Mon – Thurs 5pm – 7am
Fri 5pm – Mon 7am
Support during these hours will still be offered via our -
Helpline – 0808 801 0414
Text service – 0797 442 9075
Email service – [email protected]
This can still lead to the possibility of an in-person or virtual appointment.
Should you need crisis support out with the times above, during the hours of Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm, please contact your GP or NHS24. Or, if you feel that you are at immediate risk then please contact the Emergency Services.

10/10/2026

World Mental Health Day reminds us that wellbeing is shaped by more than mental health alone. Safe, secure housing, strong relationships and access to the right support all play a vital role.

That's why we're delighted to share that Penumbra has been awarded a contract by Fife Council to deliver the Relationship Support to Reduce Homelessness Presentations service.

Working within non-violent relationships, Penumbra’s Peer Practitioners will provide coaching support to rebuild relationships within the family home, giving time to better plan housing options.

Using their lived experience, our team will share practical ways to improve communication, resolve conflict, navigate emotional challenges and build resilience and self-esteem.

As we mark , we're proud to continue expanding our work across Scotland, helping people access the right support before challenges reach crisis point.

We'll be sharing more about the service, its impact and what it means for people across Fife in the coming months.

💛 Together, we can create communities where people feel supported, connected and able to thrive.

10/10/2026

10/10/2026

World Mental Health Day 2026 | Celebrating 5 Years of DBI Dundee 💛

This World Mental Health Day, we're proud to celebrate five years of Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) Dundee, a service that has provided compassionate, person-centered support to more than 3,195 people experiencing distress across the city.

This year's theme, lived experience, shines a light on the value of listening to and learning from people who have faced mental health challenges themselves. At the heart of DBI Dundee is peer support, with every Peer Practitioner drawing on lived experience to create safe, understanding spaces for people during some of life's most difficult moments.

As the team reflects on five years of supporting people through difficult moments, one message stands out:
"Every number represents an individual who reached out when they were experiencing distress."

From responding to referrals within hours to helping people take positive next steps in their recovery, DBI Dundee continues to demonstrate the power of compassionate, peer-led support.

Today, we'd like to thank our dedicated team, referral partners and everyone who has played a part in the service's journey over the last five years.

📖 Read the full story and learn more about the impact of DBI Dundee:
https://penumbra.org.uk/five-years-of-compassionate-support-celebrating-distress-brief-intervention-dbi-dundee-on-world-mental-health-day-091026/



NHS Tayside
Police Scotland Tayside
Scottish Ambulance Service

28/09/2026

We're pleased to share this opportunity with our friends at Self-Harm Network Scotland. If you're passionate about supporting people affected by self-harm and want to make a meaningful difference, we'd encourage you to take a look. Best of luck to everyone applying. 💜

Exciting Senior Manager opportunity 📣
We're currently recruiting for:
Programme Manager, Self-Harm.

This kind of opportunity doesn't come up often!

If you are interested, you can find out more here 👇
https://bit.ly/3VgLVnh

Closing date for applications is Wednesday, 7th October.

21/09/2026

We were delighted to welcome Joe Long MSP to our Dunfermline service recently, alongside our Chief Exec Mike, Kenny (Head of Services, North) and Sharon (Local Operations Manager).

The visit provided an opportunity to share more about the mental health support we deliver across Dunfermline and Fife, the difference these services make in people’s lives, and some of the challenges currently facing the sector.

We greatly appreciate Joe taking the time to listen to the experiences of our teams and learn more about the growing need for accessible mental health support in local communities.

Thank you, Joe, for your interest, engagement, and commitment to understanding the realities facing both services and the people who rely on them. Together, through collaboration and conversation, we can continue working towards better mental health support for everyone.

Penumbra Mental Health work across Scotland to support people with mental health difficulties. I met their team in Dunfermline this week to hear about how Penumbra Fife Wellbeing Services work with people at risk of homelessness, and the organisation's wider work including crisis centres like Hope Point in Tayside. We need a system-wide effort to improve mental health in Scotland – from preventative services through to crisis and emergency support

21/09/2026

It was a pleasure to welcome Isabel MacDonald, Vice Consul and Head of the British Consulate covering Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, to The Edinburgh Crisis Centre last Friday as part of her professional development programme.

In her role, Isabel supports British nationals, including Scottish citizens, who may be experiencing mental health difficulties, emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, self-harm concerns, or other vulnerabilities while living or travelling overseas.

The visit provided an opportunity to share more about the support Penumbra offers across Scotland for people experiencing mental health crisis and distress. Representatives from our Distress Brief Intervention service, operational teams and Edinburgh Crisis Centre discussed our approaches to crisis support, safeguarding, partnership working and helping people access the right support at the right time.

We're grateful to Isabel for taking the time to visit and learn more about our services. It was encouraging to explore shared challenges and identify resources and contacts that can help support Scottish citizens both at home and abroad.

16/09/2026

A huge congratulations to Self-Harm Network Scotland on the release of their Impact Report.

The report showcases an incredible year of support, including 1,561 one-to-one sessions, 734 live chat conversations, and self-harm awareness training delivered to more than 2,100 people.

Thank you for the vital work you do to support people across Scotland. 💙

🗞 We have just published our latest Impact Report.

The report contains key information about how Self-Harm Network Scotland has helped people between April 2025 – March 2026.

During that time:

- Our team provided 1,561 one-to-one support sessions for people who self-harm.
- 734 support conversations took place on our Live Chat.
- We delivered Self-Harm Awareness training to 2,164 people.

You can read the Impact Report here 👇
https://selfharmnetworkscotland.org.uk/our-impact/

14/09/2026

Thank you for choosing to support Penumbra and for bringing people together for such an important cause. 💙

The £600+ raised will help us make improvements to our beloved garden in East Lothian!

We're so grateful to everyone who played, donated and cheered from the sidelines. ⚽👏

💙 Thank you.

Together, we raised over £600 for Penumbra Mental Health.

Our last charity match brought people together for an incredible cause and showed exactly what football can do when it has a purpose.

This was about more than fundraising.
It was about awareness. Community. Support. And standing together for better mental health.

A huge thank you to everyone who played, donated, supported and helped make the day possible.

⚽ Football with purpose.
💙 More Than Football.



TruSelf CJ Medical Charles Reynolds Foundation