North Tyneside West Community Mental Health Team Patient Information Leaflet Shining a light on the future
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Introduction This leaflet provides information that you may find useful during your time with our service. If you are unsure about anything in this leaflet please ask a member of staff. What is the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)? The Community Mental Health Team provides a specialist service for adults aged 18 to 65 years who experience severe complex mental health difficulties and require a period of assessment and treatment. The team is made up of a number of professionals including doctors, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists and support workers. Initial appointments with the team are usually at one of the team bases in Longbenton or Wallsend, but in some instances may also be arranged within your home. What will happen at my first appointment? You will be seen by an experienced mental health worker from the team who will ask you questions about the difficulties you are experiencing. At the end of the assessment they will look with you at the best options to help address these difficulties. A summary of the assessment and recommendations will be sent to you, your GP and the referrer. How long are appointments? The first appointment can last up to two hours. You are welcome to bring a carer, friend or advocate with you. 3
How can the team help me? Following initial assessment, if you require further involvement from the team a care coordinator will be allocated to your care. This is a mental health professional who will meet with you regularly to discuss your problems, work with you to agree a care plan and regularly review your progress. They will also keep in contact with any other professionals involved in your care. The aim of the service is to aid recovery from mental ill health and to assist people in returning manageable levels of activity and independence. Help for carers Where appropriate, relatives and carers are often part of the initial assessment and are often involved in the following home treatment sessions. We will put you in touch with local carers support networks and offer a Carers Assessment on request. These are all important to the work of the Community Mental Health team. Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust has a Carers Charter. Please ask a member of staff if you or your carer would like a copy of this booklet Interpreters/Signers Staff can arrange an interpreter or someone to sign on your behalf if you need one. Travel information Contact Nexus Traveline: Tel: 0871 200 22 33 Website: www.traveline.info/ 4
What if I have a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint about the service? If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can: talk to the people directly involved in your care ask a member of staff for a feedback form, or complete a form on the Trust website www.ntw.nhs.uk (click on the Contact Us tab) telephone the Complaints Department Tel: 0191 245 6672 We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention. - Points of You - available from staff. - Friends and Family Test - available from staff or online at www.ntw.nhs.uk/fft Useful contacts Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Tel: 0800 032 02 02 North East NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy (ICA) Tel: 0808 802 3000 Contact details for North Tyneside West Community Mental Health Team Longbenton Oxford Centre West Farm Avenue Longbenton Tyne and Wear NE12 8LT Tel: 0191 220 5750 Fax: 0191 220 5751 5
Wallsend Sir GB Hunter Memorial Hospital The Green Wallsend NE287PD Tel: 0191 220 5975 Fax: 0191 220 5973 Office hours Monday to Friday, 9am 5pm 6
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Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (eg Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre Tel: 0191 223 2545 Published by the Patient Information Centre 2016 Copyright, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust Ref, PIC/168/0116 January 2016 V6 www.ntw.nhs.uk/pic Tel: 0191 223 2545 Review date 2019 Follow us @ntwnhs www.facebook.com/ntwnhs 8