SARUM Community Mental Health Team

What is the community mental health service?

We provide episodes of care, treatment and support for people who have been referred for further help after assessment from the primary care liaison service (PCLS), Intensive Service or the Mental Health Liaison team.

We will help you work out possible reasons for your difficulties and give support and treatment to promote your recovery.

This will include looking at ways to stay well. When you are discharged, you will have a plan to support this.

When do we work?

The Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) operates from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

How do we work?

Our team will work closely with you, your GP and, where possible, with relatives and friends who are supporting you.

You will have a care co-ordinator who will agree a care plan with you, so that everyone is clear about your treatment and how this will help towards your recovery.

Together, we will regularly review your care plan and what support you require.

Some people need higher levels of support at times or struggle with seeking help. We can refer to Intensive services when needed.

What do we offer?

Your care co-ordinator or other members of the team can offer depending on your needs:

medication and information on medication
talking therapies
help with your family relationships
help thinking about work or training
help thinking about your general physical health
help to recognise the early signs of distress and to find ways of keeping you well
support for those involved in supporting you
information about other services that might help your recovery.

Information for family and friends

For most families, friends and carers, the care co-ordinator will be the main point of contact and will give you their contact details.

Where possible, they will involve family, friends and carers in the care plan, making sure everyone knows who to contact in an emergency.

Support for carers

Family members and friends involved in supporting a person with mental health needs are described as carers.

If you are a carer, you have the right to a carer’s assessment. This will help you identify:

support and information you need
information you need to support the services user and aid their recovery.

We can also give you:

contact details of networks in your area which offer support to carers of people with mental health needs.
leaflets about mental health care, such as the purposes and side effects of medication or about psychological therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or family therapy.