Support for People Experiencing Mental Distress

Mental illness is a term which describes a number of conditions of the mind that can impact on the health and wellbeing of an individual.

Many of these conditions can be treated with advice from a doctor, however, for some people mental illness can have a severe impact on their ability to cope with life. These people may need specialist support. Whenever possible, this is provided by community-based teams, but for a small number of people, a short period of treatment in a specialist hospital may be necessary.
 

The Gateway

All referrals to NHS mental health services can be made by contacting the Gateway team.  The Gateway provides a new single referral pathway for adult mental health referrals across Berkshire. It combines the Common Point of Entry (CPE) and Talking Therapies access hubs. This will help to offer the most appropriate mental health treatment for patients, at the earliest time.

You can contact the Gateway by phoning 0300 365 2000 (Press option 4) or email gateway@berkshire.nhs.uk 

The Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team (CRHTT)

If appropriate, the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team (CRHTT) will respond.

The CRHTT are a specialist team of mental health professionals who provide crisis and home treatment support for adults who would otherwise be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. When needed, they also help with admissions to inpatient care and support hospital discharge. 
 

West Berkshire's Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)

The Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) is a secondary service provided by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which supports people with severe and enduring mental illness with a focus on recovery.

The team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, community psychiatric nurses and occupational therapists.
 

The Specialist Mental Health Team (SMHT)

West Berkshire Council's Specialist Mental Health Team (SMHT) provides a service which supports people with severe and enduring mental ill health with complex social care needs.

The team comprises of social workers and approved mental health professionals, who offer a range of interventions to support people back to recovery. This team also carries out duties under the Mental Health Act 1983.