Community Mental Health Service

Serious mental health conditions can affect someone physically, psychologically and socially. We work across Somerset to provide specialist mental health services for working age adults living with severe, complex or enduring mental health conditions such as acute depression, psychosis, complex trauma or anxiety.

We have a range of roles in our teams including psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, psychologists, therapists, psychological practitioners, occupational therapists, social workers, and peer support workers. We work closely with patients, families, carers, the voluntary sector, local authorities and GPs to agree individual needs and goals and support recovery.

Within our service we prioritise the following things:

• The potential need for imminent psychiatric admission
• A significant intent of suicide, self-harm, homicide or known relapse signature triggers
• Patients discharged from psychiatric inpatient service within last seven days
• Complex and/or unmanaged safeguarding issues
• Dual diagnosis of serious mental illness and substance misuse (chaotic use of drugs and alcohol)
• Severe self-neglect resulting in acute physical and or mental health concerns
• Titration of medication in accordance with national guidance
• Military veterans with severe and persistent mental health difficulties that are likely to be related to their service in the armed forces.

Following treatment and support, patients may be discharged back to the care of their GP or continue to receive treatment from our teams.

We see all new GP referrals within six weeks. GPs can also make emergency referrals where patients could be seen on the same day if needed.

For more detail about our services, such as eating disorders and employment support, please see our related pages.

How to access our service

Referrals to our service are made by a GP so patients are encouraged to make an initial appointment with their GP to discuss their needs.