MDF The Bipolar Organisation

Awareness of bipolar disorder has increased significantly in recent years and the charity was struggling to manage rising volumes of sometimes very detailed calls from members and the general public.

Services used:
Multi-channel Helplines
Consultancy

Background

MDF The Bipolar Organisation is a national charity dedicated to supporting individuals with the much misunderstood and devastating condition of bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression), their families and carers.

The charity works by supporting and developing self-help opportunities for people affected by bipolar disorder by providing information services about the illness; influencing the improvement of treatments and services; advocating against discrimination, and promoting social inclusion. 

The Challenge

Awareness of bipolar disorder has increased significantly in recent years and the charity was struggling to manage rising volumes of sometimes very detailed calls from members and the general public.

The Solution

MDF Bipolar decided to outsource some of its service provision to a specialist contact centre. In practice this meant members of the charity were provided a dedicated Helpline number operated by Connect Assist, while the charity continued to deal with general enquiries in-house.  This is a great example of how Connect Assist worked in partnership with MDF providing an affordable solution to their needs.

The Results

The benefits of outsourcing soon became apparent. Following an Eastenders storyline that included a character’s struggle with bipolar disorder the charity received more calls in one month that in an entire year. Having moved from a weekday, office-only helpline run by head office staff and volunteers, to an outsourced seven-day a week service, it was able to cope with the demand.

“Initially we did have concerns regarding the loss of personal interaction, expertise and the integrity of the organisation. But our experience has been wholly positive, we have developed a close working relationship with Connect Assist and our members receive excellent assistance and support for one-off immediate needs. .” 

Suzanne Hudson, MDF Bipolar Chief Executive