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First Steps

There are a few options you can take initially to work out which service can help you the best.

Oxfordshire Mental Health Helpline

You can call the Oxfordshire Mental Health Helpline when you need to find out when and where to get help. It can also help you access support from mental health professionals for a range of conditions and symptoms. These may include anxiety, low mood, stress, worry, difficulty with relationships, crying often, feeling helpless, confusion, hallucinations or hearing voices.

You can also call the Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Mental Health Helpline when you would usually ring 111, speak to your GP, council or police for non-emergency mental health advice.

It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week for people who need mental health care when their situation is not life threatening. It supports people of all ages including children and older adults.

  • Call 111 for the 24/7 Mental Health Helpline

Talk to your GP

If you are concerned about your mental health, it is also good to talk to your GP about it. They can also help suggest which service might be most suitable for you. To search for a GP in your area or check your practice contact details please visit https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-gp

Third sector organisations

How to access the third sector organisations within the OMHP

The Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership sits within the Adult Mental Health Services Oxfordshire provide and has a large variety of services to suit your needs. Visit the OMHP services page to decide which  would best support your needs.

Once you know which you would like to be referred to, please complete the Passport Assessment and send to the appropriate organisation:

If you would like help filling out the Passport Assessment, please see the Step By Step Guide. You can also look at our Information on Services which contains information about each organisation, referral criteria and contact details.

If you are currently using a mental health service within the Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership, there is no need to make a new referral to access other mental health services. We will ‘passport’ your assessment information to the appropriate organisation. This means we will send the original passport assessment you filled out, with any updates, to the organisation you wish to be referred to. This means you won’t have to repeat your story and complete all your details again.

If you wish to be referred to Oxfordshire Mind’s Wellbeing Services you need to have an Options session with a Wellbeing Service Worker to discuss your mental health and wellbeing in order to help you find the right support. Visit our Information Service page for more information and to request a call-back to book an Options Session.

Options available

Oxfordshire adult mental health services (18-65)

If it is felt you need more support than the interventions either provided by your GP or TalkingSpacePlus, you might be referred to and Adult Mental Health Team (AMHT).

This is the main front door to the adult mental health services within Oxfordshire including specialised services such as the Early Intervention Service for those with onset psychosis, Complex Needs Service for those with personality disorders, and Psychological Services.

If you have been discharged from the AMHT treatment team within the last 12 months you are able to self-refer back in.

AMHT contact details:

Your local Adult Mental Health Team can be contacted 7 days a week from 7am until 9pm.

  • Oxford City and North East Oxon – 01865 902200
  • North West Oxon -01865 902563
  • South Oxon – 01865 904191

Overnight, from 9pm until 7am, the Night Team based at the Warneford Hospital can be contacted on 01865 901000 in the event of a mental health crisis that cannot wait for contact with your usual care team.

Oxfordshire Talking Therapies

Oxfordshire Talking Therapies offers a range of FREE talking therapies to over 14,000 people a year across Oxfordshire. They are part of the NHS and offer services to patients registered with an Oxfordshire GP.

Oxfordshire Talking Therapies helps people suffering from low mood, anxiety and depression. They follow a stepped care model to decide which intervention is most appropriate for you. This means they will always start with the least intensive treatment; often their courses and groups.

See their website here: www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/oxon-talking-therapies

Oxfordshire Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (under 18s)

In Oxfordshire we provide a wide range of mental health services for children and young people (CAMHS) and community services to help young people overcome personal difficulties in their lives.

In order to self-refer within Oxfordshire, call the following number to discuss 01865 902515.

Older Adults (over 65s)

If you are over the age of 65, you might be referred to the Older Adult’s Community Mental Health team. They work the same way as the Adult Mental Health Team and provide support specialise to older adults and their mental health needs.

Oxfordshire Mind Guide

The Oxfordshire Mind online guide is a simple and easy way to find out about different services within Oxfordshire. With the ability to filter by location, service type or what you would like help with it is easy to find what you are looking for. It doesn’t just detail mental health services within Oxfordshire but also GPs, money management services, alcohol and addiction services, learning disabilities, autism and ADHD services, abuse services among many others.

www.oxmindguide.org.uk/

Oxfordshire Mind also offer an information service helpline. They aren’t qualified to give medical advice or make a diagnosis, but they’ll always be able to point you in the direction of someone who can.

Call the Oxfordshire Mind Information Line on 01865 247788 (open Monday to Thursday, 9:30am to 4:30pm, Friday 9:30am to 4:00pm, closed bank holidays).

Translation Services

Click on the Browsealoud ear icon that appears on the bottom right of your screen to launch the support toolbar. Then simply click on any text to hear it read out loud.

Browsealoud offers a host of reading and translation support – helping you to access and understand our website better.

  • Text-to-speech: click on or select any text to hear it read aloud.
  • Translation: written and spoken translations in multiple languages.
  • Text magnification: enlarges text and reads it out loud.
  • MP3 generation: converts selected text into an MP3 audio file.
  • Screen mask: blocks distractions on screen with a tinted mask.
  • Web page simplifer: removes clutter from the screen, displaying only the main text.
  • Settings: customise options to suit individual needs or preferences.

If you are new to Browsealoud a useful online tutorial can be found on YouTube.

Oxford Health are also able to provide translations services over the phone. This service is available for any phone conversation with Oxford Health, including any health professionals that are involved in your care.

Find out more information about translation services here.