How to Access Services

How to access Mental Health Services

If you are feeling unusually distressed or think that you might have a mental illness and/or addiction, contact your general practitioner (GP / family doctor) or your local medical centre. The GP might offer you a prescription for medication or some other help. If he/she feels you need a different kind of help than what they can give, they will make a referral to a local mental health and addiction service.

If it is an emergency and you feel you or others are at risk, ring 111 - it is most likely that the Police will respond. Or go to Accident and Emergency at the hospital. (Tell them you are having a psychiatric emergency and want a crisis assessment undertaken).

Alternatively, if it is an emergency, ring your local mental health services (under the Hospital section in the front of the phone book). You should look for a name like Community Assessment and Treatment Team (CATT), or Psychiatric Assessment and Community Team (PACT). You will need to be assessed by a nurse or psychiatrist who will decide if you need services.

There are some telephone helplines that might be able to help, for example Youth Line and Samaritans. You can find a list of these in the front of the white pages of the telephone book. They are listed under Personal Help Services.