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Mental Health

Many people’s mental health support needs can be met through their doctor's surgery, I CAN Community Hub, self-help group or Primary Care Mental Health Service. But some people may require further support. You may find yourself referred to a Community Mental Health Team.  

If you are referred to a Community Mental Health Team, this does not mean that your problems are worse than other people's, or that you will take longer to get better. It just means that you may need more specialist help to support you to recovery.

Hospital 

You can find yourself in hospital from a number of different routes. You may have been sent there by your doctor, by the Community Mental Health Team or you may be there under a section of the Mental Health Act. You are far less likely to be asked to go into hospital now than ten or twenty years ago and even if you do, your stay will probably be a short one.

You may be asked to go into hospital because:

  • Your Care Coordinator wants to be absolutely sure that you have been given the right medication or treatment
  • You are too distressed to be able to cope at home

If you go to hospital under your own free will, you are called a "voluntary patient". Most people in hospital are voluntary patients. If you do not like your treatment, you can leave at any time but it's a good idea to discuss it with the staff first.

Smoke-free mental health units

To reduce exposure to harmful cigarette smoke and support the health and wellbeing of our patients, staff and visitors, all our mental health units will be entirely smoke-free from September 2022. This includes all residential units, wards, buildings, grounds and vehicles on our sites.

Our staff will help patients stay smoke-free and manage cravings during their stay at our units, including through use of nicotine replacement medicines (including options like nicotine patches and lozenges) and access to personal support from a specialist adviser. More detail about smoke-free mental health units.

For more information on your rights in hospital contact the Advocacy Service North East Wales or telephone 01352 759 332 in Flintshire and Wrexham, CADMHAS on 01745 813 999 in Denbighshire and Conwy, and MHAS on 01248 670 450 for Gwynedd and Anglesey.

Community Mental Health Teams

Community Mental Health Teams (C.M.H.T.s) are run jointly by North Wales’ six Local Authorities and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Community Mental Health Team can offer you a range of services under one roof. Team members include:

  • Nurses
  • Social Workers
  • Psychologists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Psychiatrists

Although all the professionals have their own skills and interests, they all work together to provide the best mix of care for you. Because time and resources are limited, teams can only deal with people who are most in need.

If you have been referred to a team by your doctor, you will be allocated a Care Coordinator. The two of you should sit down and agree on your best course of treatment. This agreement will be written down and is called your Care Plan under the Care Plan Approach.

Information about the Community Mental Health Teams in your local area can be found below:

Compulsory Treatment 

If people around you are concerned that you might harm yourself or other people, you can be taken to hospital without your consent. This means you are treated under the various different sections of the Mental Health Act 1983.  

You can read an overview of your rights under the Mental Health Act on the MIND charity website. The guide includes FAQs, explanations of legal terms and links to further information and support.