What is a Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)?

A Community Mental Health Team is a group of professionals who will provide mental health and social care in the local community.

The team supports and treats people at home or in clinics. Team members work closely with Family Doctors and voluntary agencies to provide the best level of care. Hospital admission can also be arranged if this is thought necessary.

The members of a Community Mental Health Team include:

• Community Consultant Psychiatrist
• Social Workers
• Mental Health Nurse
• Support workers
• Occupational Therapists
• Psychologist
• Team Manager and Duty Managers
• Administrative Staff

The first point of contact should usually be through your GP, who will refer you to your local CMHT or the local equivalent for an assessment. Once you have been referred to or contacted by the local CHMT, a member of the team will offer you a mental health assessment to ensure correct diagnosis. As a result of this assessment you might be offered treatment by the team and/or referral on to another service, for example, counselling. The treatments found to be the most effective in successfully treating OCD are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

There are many specialist health professionals and services, to which the patient can be referred for additional help. Specialists include eating disorder units, cognitive or behavioural therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Treatment can also entail family or group therapy. Local social services are sometimes involved, particularly in resolving underlying causes of anxiety and other problems, or coordinating practical assistance.

The mental health services also work with carers, to provide them with support, advice and information. Carers are unpaid family members, partners or friends who look after the day-to-day needs of a person with mental health problems. They may have access to a respite service that gives them an occasional break from their responsibilities as a carer.

CBT is available on the NHS in some places in the UK. A number of health care professionals use CBT in their treatment, including clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses and social workers. Your GP will be able to give you information about accessing your local services. You can also look for a CBT therapist who offers treatment privately.

There is no legal requirement for therapists to register and be approved, but the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) has a register of its members. Search their website for a list of therapists in your area who practice.

The database only lists BABCP accredited therapists who do private work. Many other therapists are accredited by BABCP and work for the NHS but choose not to do private work and do not appear on the database.