Mental health - frequently asked questions for care providers

Find answers to your questions on dealing with mental health issues.

What to do if someone is experiencing a mental health crisis?

Call 999 immediately if you or someone is in a life-threatening situation

Call 111 if you urgently need medical help or advice but it is not a life-threatening situation

Key services:

Mental health crisis helpline

24-hour support. Call 0800 915 4644

More information and other contact methods: Get help in a mental health crisis

Safe Havens Surrey

Safe Havens provide out of hours help and support to people and their carers who are experiencing a mental health crisis or emotional distress.

Centres in Surrey are:

Other options

See Dealing with an adult mental health crisis - Healthy Surrey


What are the local services to support people with mental health problems?

Find local services, self-help materials, talking therapies and more on Local Services - Healthy Surrey


What should I do if someone is becoming mentally unwell?

Contact:

  • local services already helping them - such as social worker or community psychiatric nurse.
  • their GP

What is the role of a care coordinator or community psychiatric nurse (CPN)?

The role of a care coordinator is to meet an individual's health care needs. This can include liaison with other agencies and arranging medical support.


What is the role of a person's social worker?

The role of a social worker:

  • is to help them identify and meet their personal social care needs. This can include support to access community resources and fill in a social care assessment.
  • can include statutory responsibilities under certain parts of the Mental Health Act - for example, social supervisor
  • can include arranging care and support and reviewing needs.

What is a Community Treatment Order (CTO)?

A Community Treatment Order (CTO) allows a person who has been detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act to be discharged and get treatment in the community. They must meet certain conditions.

What should I do if someone is breaching their conditions?

If they breach mandatory conditions, contact their responsible clinician.


How can I get training?

Recovery College courses - run by Surrey and Borders. Cover a range of mental and physical health conditions to improve wellbeing.

Mental Health First Aid courses - for suicide prevention.

Search for courses on the NHS Surrey and Borders Partnership website. Available courses include:

  • Managing self-harm
  • Understanding personality disorder
  • Understanding eating disorders
  • Understanding substance misuse
  • Trauma informed care
  • Understanding autism
  • Managing behaviour that challenges

What extra help can I get with navigating the mental health system?

In general:

Where someone is linked in with mental health and/ or substance misuse services and have housing support needs, the adult social care mental health locality team can point you in the right direction.


What if I'm worried someone is going to become homeless?

Contact your local district or borough council. Find the relevant council on the Duty to refer for homelessness in Surrey page on Health Surrey.

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