In a crisis…
You need to get professional help quickly. There are three possible routes:
- NHS Direct – call 111 (24 hrs a day, 7days a week) The person you are supporting will need to talk to the call handler. Select the mental health option to speak to a trained mental health professional.They will risk-assess that person and decide whether a visit to Accident and Emergency would be advisable.
- Accident and Emergency – physically take someone to a local hospital with an A&E department. B.NHS England are soon to open emergency mental health facilities to divert pressure from A&E watch the press for details.
- Initial Response Team (Crisis Team). To find this, Google ‘Crisis Team [your location]’. Available 24 hours, 7 days a week, throughout the year. Even if the person you are supporting won’t talk to them, the crisis team can be very reassuring for you – ask: “Am I doing the right thing?” and “What are my options to help this person?”.
Community Psychiatric Nurse: Someone with a history of mental ill health might have a Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN). Ask them. Encourage them to phone their CPN.
Non-NHS crisis support. There are many possibilities, these are available 24/7/365
- Samaritans– Tel: 116 123 this is a free confidential helpline if you feel you need to talk. samaritans.org. Samaritans will listen but not refer people to other agencies.
- SHOUT – a free 24/7 text service for anyone in mental health crisis – Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258. SHOUT is aimed at young people who appreciate being able to text rather than talk. Older people can use SHOUT too. Shout will refer or call the police is a person is thought to be at high risk of suicide.
- Childline – for children and young people under 19 – childline.org.uk – 0800 1111
If you are concerned that an individual might be at high risk of suicide, or a danger to other people, but they will not engage with a crisis service our safeguarding responsibilities require us the call the police on 999. As their resources allow, they will do a welfare check on that person.
Some police forces have a Street Triage Team – a mental health nurse and a police officer trained and equipped to support people in crisis. This service is not yet available nationwide.
Not a crisis?
Primary care – General Practitioners: the best place to start seeking help is a GP, they may be able to offer support or refer to an agency who can give specific help. Most GPs now have a Social Prescriber on their team. These offer advice and helpful pathways to the whole gamut of therapeutic pathways known to support good mental health.
But some people are reluctant to see their GP. These can self -refer to a talking therapy service…
NHS Talking Therapies – For anxiety depression and low mood anyone registered with a GP in your area can ‘phone. Initial conversation is followed by a telephone assessment. The patient and nurse discuss together what are the best treatment options, and face to face treatment follows. Google NHT talking therapies + [your location]’
Private counselling for those with the means, counselling of various kinds is available privately, without a waiting list. Here is a useful directory: www.counselling-directory.org.uk. Students will have access to Student Welfare who may provide counselling. University students may access counselling via Student Welfare.
Biblical Counselling UK do not release a directory of approved counsellors but have good general advice about finding one here: https://bcuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Can-you-help-BCUK.pdf
Self-help guides – a series of 23 superb, award-winning self-help booklets available for download or to order a hard copy from – https://web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/. These offer brief, well written, expert information, advice and guidance.
More information from reliable sources
The NHS website is brilliant – especially the A to Z section: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ Clear and authoritative information about any condition you are likely to meet.
The national Mind website – brief and thorough introductions to most mental health issues: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/