About the service
Community Mental Health Team provides a wide range of support for people seeking specialist assessment and treatment for a mental health difficulty. We provide a service for people over the age of 65 who have a Gateshead GP. We work with people who need more specialist or intensive help than their GP or other health worker is able to give. The CMHT has a range of specially trained staff with different roles and expertise.
These include:
- Mental Health Nurses
- Consultant Psychiatrists
- Occupational Therapists
- Psychologists
- Healthcare Support Workers
How does the community mental health team work?
If your GP or another health professional feels that you might benefit from our help they will contact us to arrange an appointment for you. If we can help, a member of the team will see you either at your home or as an outpatient as soon as possible.
We try to see all new patients as soon as possible after receiving a referral dependent upon need. This is usually within four weeks but may be sooner if the request is urgent.
At the first appointment, we will talk through the problems you are experiencing and the best way to help you. You may be offered further help, either by the person who meets you first or by another member of the team. The help we offer may include:
- Further specialist assessments over a longer period of time or by another health professional
- Formulation based interventions and strategies to help improve your wellbeing
- Psychological intervention/talking therapies
- Medication management
- Diagnosis and treatment of memory problems eg dementia
- Support, advice and health information
- Carer support for close friends and family members
- Linking with your GP and other services, such as talking therapies or local services, as necessary
Referral process
We accept referrals via our single point of access into the service from your GP or other health professional who may be involved in your care. Referrals are discussed daily at our multi-disciplinary triage hub and the outcome of this will be sent to the GP and referrer. You, or your carer, may be contacted directly for further information during this process to help the team make a decision regarding your care and treatment.
A duty worker is available each day to speak to if you are not able to access your named health professional.
Outside of these hours, the Newcastle/Gateshead Crisis Resolution Home Treatment (CRHT) Team are available for patients who find themselves in a crisis and are unable to keep themselves safe. They operate across Newcastle and Gateshead 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, they do not provide an emergency service such as a 999 response.
The telephone for the team is 0191 814 8899 or freephone 0800 652 2863.
There is a text number for people who are Deaf and/or have communication difficulties 07919228548.