If you currently receive support from one of our community mental health teams (Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust – KMPT), this information may be useful to you.
Please be assured that the team you are working with will not change any of your care without speaking to you and agreeing to it first.
Mental Health Together is the new name for Community Mental Health Services in Kent and Medway.
If you are part of this service, you may see a ‘Mental Health Together’ logo on letters you receive about your mental health care.
If you currently receive support from one of our community mental health teams, please be assured that the team you are working with will not change any of your care without speaking to you and agreeing to it first.
Mental Health Together is currently available to people with complex and enduring mental health issues. If you think this might be you (or someone you know) please speak to (or encourage them to speak to) a GP. They will then conduct an assessment to see if Mental Health Together can help.
If referred, our team will review what the GP has said and schedule an initial meeting to discuss how you are feeling and what kind of support might help. After this, we will work with you to create a plan that focuses on your mental health and any other areas of your life where you may need support, such as financial or housing.
No, you will not need to repeat your story. The background information and any personal circumstances you choose to share will be recorded during your initial assessment when you first access support from Mental Health Together. This information will then be shared with the relevant teams involved in your care. We understand that sharing personal details can be difficult, so we’ll make sure to ask only once.
Your GP can refer you to Mental Health Together if they think this service is right for you. Other mental health providers can also refer you, such as Live Well Kent and Medway, Porchlight, Shaw Trust, Kent and Medway universities, substance misuse services, local authorities and NHS Talking Therapies.
If you are a Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) patient
- If you (or someone you know) feel like you are experiencing a mental health crisis the fastest way to get help is to contact the team looking after you during their opening hours.
- If urgent help is needed outside of these hours, call 111 and select the option for mental health when prompted to speak to a specially-trained mental health practitioner.
- If you believe there is an immediate risk to your life, or someone else’s, call 999 right away.
If you are not currently a KMPT patient:
- If you (or someone you know) feel like you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call 111 and select the option for mental health when prompted to speak to a specially-trained mental health practitioner.
- If you believe there is an immediate risk to your life, or someone else’s, call 999 right away.
For more information on how a mental health crisis might look or feel, visit the ‘I need help now’ page on the KMPT website.
If your friend/relative is being cared for by the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) please contact the team looking after them during their opening hours.
If you believe they need urgent help outside of these hours, please call 111 and select the option for mental health when prompted to speak to a specially-trained mental health practitioner.
If you believe there is an immediate risk to your life, or someone else’s, call 999 right away.
Yes. The Mental Health Together team will share information about your ongoing care with your GP when appropriate.
No. You can access support from Mental Health Together for as long as you need. Some of the packages of support you may be offered will have a set number of sessions, but your care will always be reviewed to see if the support has helped you or if there are other ways we can support you.
This service was developed in close collaboration with people who have first-hand experience with mental health services. They shared what has not worked in the past and helped us identify areas that needed improvement. We are committed to developing Mental Health Together to provide the best possible care for you.
If you’d like to share your experience, please contact livedexperience
We are committed to developing Mental Health Together to provide the best possible care for you. In the future, we hope to offer even more flexible options, including self-referral pathways and access to self-help guidance and online mental health and wellness courses, so people can access support more easily and at their own pace.