Who are we?
Isle of Anglesey County Council works with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in a co-located Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) based at Ysbyty Cefni in Llangefni. We offer specialist help for mental and emotional health problems to people and their families.
How do people access the service?
This can happen in a number of ways, but is usually as a result of contact with your GP.
What do we do?
Help offered might take the form of individual counselling or group activity. You may be seen by any one of a number of different professionals – Clinical Psychologist, Community Psychiatric Nurse, Psychiatrist, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Support Worker – all of whom specialise in mental health problems. This support may take place at Ysbyty Cefni or in your own home.
We provide an integrated service within the framework of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010, to identify and assist with the support needs of individuals, their families and carers who may be suffering from the consequences of mental health problems. Priority will usually be given to those with a serious or complex mental disorder, enabling them to live as fulfilled a life as possible within their community by helping improve their general wellbeing and independence.
Local Primary Mental Health Support can also be accessed via a GP. This service is intended to offer assessment, short term treatment and support for those individuals who do not need to be seen by the secondary care Mental Health Service (CMHT).
Assessment and Eligibility for Services
If you do need to be referred for secondary care, a member of staff will carry out a detailed assessment, to find out more about you, and what help you might need. This assessment will help us decide together whether your needs are within our eligibility criteria, and whether it would be appropriate for us to offer to help you. If you do not need this service, we will usually help direct you to a more suitable one.
If you are eligible for a service, a Care Co-ordinator will be appointed to work with you to identify and agree the most appropriate services for you and to draw up a Care and Treatment Plan. A Care and Treatment Plan is a written agreement setting out the help and support which you need.
Working with Carers
If you have a carer – an unpaid friend or relative who regularly looks after or supports you – we can arrange for someone to carry out an assessment of their needs as well. We arrange support to carers from an independent organisation, Hafal.
Discharge from Service
Many people discharged from Mental Health Services are unsure how they can re-access Services should they need to. People who are discharged from secondary mental health services can refer themselves back to the service for assessment within a 3 year period. If a person has been discharged from secondary services for longer than 3 years, they then have to present themselves to their GP.
Confidentiality
All team members respect and are sensitive to issues of confidentiality of their clients’ personal circumstances. Advice on aspects of care is sought from their professional colleagues. Information is recorded in the form of notes and on computer systems. There are statutory rights of access to these records by clients. (For more information, please contact the team, or your care co-ordinator, if you have one).
User Involvement
We are keen to engage with service users and listen to what they have to say. Service users are encouraged to participate in decisions regarding their care and participate in a range of managerial and policy making groups.
Complaints Procedure
We welcome any comments about our services – good or bad. If you are unhappy with the services you receive, we encourage you to make a complaint. Complaints procedures are operated by both Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Isle of Anglesey Social Services. Information regarding the procedures is available on request from the Mental Health Service and is on the agencies’ websites. If a complaint is made which involves both agencies, we may investigate the complaint jointly and provide a single joint response.
Students
The team has a responsibility for the training of professionals. We may request that students be involved with your care and you can discuss this with the community team member.
Independent and Voluntary Groups
The Service works closely with independent and voluntary agencies when looking at the appropriate delivery of care and support. Further information can be had from the team or care co-ordinator.