Most people initially access services by seeing their GP who can then make a referral if needed. Some services, for example talking therapy services, accept referrals directly from individuals.
There is a broad array of mental health services accessible to individuals who need support with their mental health both in terms of therapies available and the professionals involved. More detailed information about these is available on this site under the sections ‘Types of mental health professionals’ and ‘Psychological therapies’.
Mental health services are designed to provide support and treatment for individuals who are experiencing issues with their mental health and wellbeing. However, as a service user it can be challenging to utilise this support, it is important to remember that the professionals are there to try and help in whatever ways they can and their aim is to reduce suffering and distress.
As a service user it is helpful to consider what it is that you would like to achieve with the support of mental health services and make it clear to them. If you feel it is appropriate it can also be valuable to have friends and family involved in your care, they can advocate on your behalf if you don’t feel that you are being heard or feel unable to speak out yourself.
Try not to feel pressured into doing things that aren’t right for you, sometimes what others feel is best for you is not what feels right for you. It’s okay to disagree but it might be worthwhile thinking about alternatives that you feel would be more helpful e.g. not wanting to attend a mental health group and instead considering a hobby group.
If you are currently being supported by a mental health team, you are able to request information about your care and treatment and should do this via your care co-ordinator/keyworker.
People being supported by mental health teams should have a care plan, a written agreement of how you will work together in your recovery. This plan should be reviewed at regular intervals to ensure that it is working and is still relevant. The framework under which care is organised is called the ‘Care Programme Approach’ (CPA) and more details about this can be found on the NHS website.
For information about how to access NHS mental health services, visit the appropriate website for where you live:
Mental Health Teams
The makeup of the mental health teams vary across the Trust. Some areas have the traditional Community Mental Health Teams others have Affective and Psychosis Intervention Teams. However, all teams offer person centred care with the focus being on recovery. Teams are generally made up of Consultant Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Workers, Community Mental Health Nurses, Occupational Therapists, support workers and administration staff.
Affective intervention teams:
The affective intervention team is designed to provide treatment to individuals (aged 18 to 65 years) who have a diagnosis relating to their mood e.g. depression and bipolar.
Psychosis intervention teams:
The psychosis intervention team is designed to provide treatment to individuals who have a diagnosis relating to distress around, or feeling overwhelmed by, having unusual beliefs and/or hearing or seeing things that others do not e.g. schizophrenia and delusional disorder.
In some areas there is access to Early Intervention in Psychosis teams who support individuals who experience psychosis for the first few years after they are referred to mental health services.
Community mental health teams:
These teams offer interventions to all service users irrespective of their diagnosis.
About the teams:
All the teams offer individualised care based upon the person’s identified and agreed needs and goals. There are NICE guidelines and specific care pathways to enable our service users to work towards recovery. Treatment is not all about medication we offer a large range of psychological interventions. When a person is referred in to the service they are allocated a care coordinator or lead professional. Their role is work with the service user to develop a co-produced care plan and facilitate access to the most appropriate treatment.
Accessing the services:
Referrals to the service are made via a single point – the Access team/service for the locality. Any health, social care or voluntary agency professional can refer to the Access team.
Support for carers
It’s important that individuals who are caring for another person can access suitable support for themselves because the caring role can be challenging and it may feel like it takes over other aspects of life.
There are many types of support available for carers, a good first point of contact is a GP. They will be able to signpost to the available local services and may assist in developing action plans so that appropriate and sufficient support is given to the carer and the person being cared for.
The types of support offered may include; carer support groups, providing opportunities for the carer to have a break or respite, additional care within the home by professional community carers, home adaptations to assist the carer in supporting the person and financial support.
For more information about caring for people with mental health needs, head to our section ‘Parents and carers’.