Initial treatment sessions

If a person's plan includes further treatment within our adult community services, or community mental health teams (CMHT), they will be referred by their assessor to their local team for initial treatment sessions.  Our community mental health teams focus on their early contact with our mental health services to give them the best chance of getting better and supporting their recovery.  

What happens next?

Someone from the local CMHT will arrange to meet with them.  They'll work together with this person on a care plan that will help them manage the difficulties they might currently be experiencing. 

What will these initial sessions involve?

We initially offer up to four treatment sessions, which will:

• Help people understand the mental health difficulties they might be experiencing and explain what treatments are available
• Work together with them (and their carer, if they have one) to plan their care around these treatments. We’ll give them a copy of this care plan
• Think about whether they need any medication
• Work with them to understand whether there are particular risks for them and how they can manage these in their day-to-day life
• Help them to recognise any early signs of a relapse and plan ahead in case this happens
• Consider whether there’s anything a Social Worker can help them with (e.g. accommodation support, benefits, childcare support)
• Find out whether they have a carer and whether they require any support
• There may be some things that are affecting their wellbeing, such as debt or housing problems, which the CMHT aren’t able to resolve. In these cases, we’ll put them in contact with other organisations who can work with them to overcome these difficulties.

Documents used 

You can download and access documents and useful links that are used in the initial treatment sessions below.