Sometimes referred to as a First Contact Mental Health Practitioner, this member of staff is an experienced professional who can support you with either a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health concern. This could be one or a number of mental health feelings and symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, loneliness, grief, hallucinations or stress.

A Mental Health Practitioner focuses on your individual mental health needs and offers a safe space to talk about your feelings and how they can be supported. They have the abilities to listen, advise you on support options available and can provide wider access to a registered mental health professional or service should you need it.

You will need to use e-consult to request an appointment.

During an initial appointment a Mental Health Practitioner will ask some questions, and may use some screening tools, to help them understand the nature and extent of your concern. They will discuss the support options available and together with you, can decide on the next course of action. It may be agreed that they speak to you again to review how you are getting on, or to give you time to consider what you would like to happen next. In some instances a mental health practitioner may be able to provide a short-term intervention to help you overcome your difficulties rather than referring you elsewhere.

The frequency you interact with the Mental Health Practitioner will depend of your personal circumstances and your discussed support plan. You may only have a one off appointment which is then followed up in a couple of weeks, or it may be more ongoing for a period of time. The Mental Health Practitioner will discuss with you, what is best for you.