Community mental health teams

If you have a moderate to severe mental health difficulty, your GP may refer you to a community mental health team (CMHT).

A CMHT is a team of mental health professionals who work together to improve the mental wellbeing of adults age 18 to 65.

The CMHT can offer:

• a full assessment of your mental health needs
• medicine
• psychological therapies such as talk therapy
• help for work and training needs
• help with social and family relationships
• family support
• peer support (if a peer support worker is part of your CMHT)

Your team will develop a care plan based on an understanding of your needs and the most effective treatments available.

How to access a CMHT

Only a GP or another health professional can refer you to a CMHT. You cannot refer yourself directly to a CMHT.

Who is in a CMHT

A CMHT is likely to include the following healthcare professionals:

• a psychiatrist - a qualified medical doctor with training in mental health difficulties
• a community mental health nurse - a nurse with training in mental health difficulties
• a psychologist - who specialises in assessment and treatment of mental health difficulties
• a social worker - who offers practical help with issues such as family support, housing and finances
• an occupational therapist - who works with you to improve your everyday life at work, home or in the community
• a dietitian - an expert in diet and nutrition
• a speech and language therapist - who supports people with difficulty communicating or swallowing

What a CMHT can help with

A CMHT can help with severe mental health difficulties. This is when you have symptoms that make daily life extremely difficult.

Examples of severe mental health difficulties are:

• clinical depression
• generalised anxiety disorder
• psychosis (unusual thoughts)
• obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Your GP or healthcare professional will talk to you about your concerns. They can refer you to the CMHT for diagnosis and treatment.

What a CMHT cannot help with

A CMHT cannot help with mental health difficulties that are mild to moderate.

These are mental health difficulties that affect your daily life, but are not so bad that they make daily life extremely difficult. For example, a low mood or mild forms of anxiety.

There are supports are available for less severe mental health difficulties.

For example, you can get support from primary care psychology, or counselling from:

• the National Counselling service (NCS)
• Mymind
• Jigsaw
• Pieta House

Your GP will also be able to advise you of local supports and community resources in your area.

Ask your GP about support for these, including ways to get free talk therapy.

About mental health supports and services

What an assessment involves

After you are referred, someone from your local CMHT will contact you in writing or by phone. If they can help you, they will tell you how long you may need to wait for your first appointment. You will be sent a text message with the details of this appointment.

At your first appointment members of the CMHT will meet you to find out your needs.

You only have to talk about what you want to talk about. But the more you're able to share, the easier it is to find out what will work best for you.

When your CMHT have all the information they need, they will make an assessment. They will tell you what they think and explain it to you in clear language.

What you can do before and during a mental health assessment

It can be helpful to think about a few things ahead of time. You could write down some notes to take with you.

It may help to include:

• when your symptoms happen
• if anything seems to make sympoms better or worse
• how symptoms affect your day-to-day activities, such as work, education or relationships
• major life changes or stressful events you have dealt with recently
• traumatic experiences you've had in the past
• any health conditions or mental health difficulties you have
• any treatments you have had in the past and how well they worked for you
• any medicines you take or have been prescribed in the past
• any history of mental health difficulties in your family

Your team may give you:

• information to take home and think about in your own time
• advice on where you can find out more
• a written copy of your care plan

Next steps

After your assessment your CMHT may:

• refer you back to your GP with recommendations for treatment
• offer you a follow-up appointment with the same person
• offer you an appointment with a different member of the team for further assessment
• refer you to another another service such as our day hospital, home care team or day centre
• refer you for therapy, or one of our specialist programmes
• develop and update your care plan with you - this will focus on your goals and how to support you

Reviewing how it's going

Your needs can change over time. It is important your treatment is reviewed regularly.

You will have a key contact person you can contact if you have any questions about your treatment.

Your team will make sure you have regular reviews. They can also offer support to you, your family and friends.

Waiting times

Your waiting time may depend on:

• the information in your referral
• how many people are on the waiting list

Your waiting time can change if the number of people looking for appointments in your area changes.

If your assessment is urgent it can be done at an emergency department immediately, or with the CMHT within 72 hours.

In less urgent cases, you may have to wait up to 12 weeks for your first appointment.

Things you can do if you are on a waiting list

There are things you can do to look after your mental health while you are waiting for an appointment.