Support for adults experiencing a mental health crisis or urgent care need

The Mental Health Crisis Intervention Team is able to support people who are experiencing a crisis with their mental health, and who think they are at risk of harming themselves or others but who do not need immediate medical assistance.

You can also call the team if you are considering attending Accident and Emergency for help with your mental health. The team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for patients, carers and healthcare professionals to ring for advice.

Examples of urgent/crisis mental health problems:

• Experiencing suicidal feelings and thoughts with a plan to harm yourself.
• Engaging in self-harm behaviours that may be escalating and becoming more severe.
• Significant mental health concerns which require immediate attention, such as delusions, paranoia, hallucinations or hearing voices.
• Other behaviours that make you feel out of control and are likely to endanger you or others.

You may have already been diagnosed with a mental health problem, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression, or you might be going through your first episode of a diagnosable mental health problem.

Even if what you're going through isn't related to a specific diagnosis, experiencing emotions or behaviours that are painful or hard to manage can still make you feel like you're in crisis. When you're feeling like this, you may need to access crisis services to help you resolve the situation or to support you until it has passed.

If you are in need of emotional support and wish to talk to someone, you can contact:

• A friend or family member who you feel able to speak to.
• A professional that may be providing you with care, such as a member of a Community Mental Health Team.
• SANEline – SANE is a charity that runs a national, out-of-hours, mental health helpline offering emotional support to anyone affected by mental illness, including their family and carers. They can be contacted all year round between the hours of 4,30pm and 10,30pm on 0300 304 7000. www.sane.org.uk/home.
• Samaritans – The Samaritans are available around the clock and are able to talk to you in a safe place, whenever you like, about whatever is getting to you. The number is FREE from any phone in the UK and you do not have to be feeling suicidal to call. You can contact the Samaritans on 116 123. www.samaritans.org.
• NHS 111 for advice.
• Your GP (but not as an emergency, please use emergency services if required)
• If you are a patient, carer or family member and wish to access the crisis services, please contact the Mental Health Advice and Support Line 0800 138 0990
• If you are a professional and wish to seek crisis support for someone you are working with, please utilise the appropriate pathway identified for your area.