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Community mental health team (CMHT) (East) older peoples service
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About the service
The Community Mental Health Team ( Older People East) is an integrated team consisting of staff from both the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Wakefield Council. The team provides community mental health care for people who have severe and enduring mental health needs and are over 65 years old. we aim to provide a safe and seamless mental health service that is person-centred and offered in a timely and effective manner to promote recovery wherever possible and appropriate to do so.
The team provides:
- Protection for adults that follows regional safeguarding procedures
- Ongoing assessment and care coordination using the Care Programme Approach (a particular way of assessing, planning and reviewing someone’s mental health care needs)
- Assessment and care management
- A range of assessments and treatments designed to give the best possible care to suit a person’s individual needs (including mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions)
- Assessment under the Care Act if applicable
- An approved mental health practitioner to carry out Mental Health Act assessments
- Support for service users requiring Court of Protection (decision making powers relating to property, affairs and healthcare for those who are unable to make them)
- Individual treatment programmes ie anxiety management
- Psychological support and interventions
- Supportive counselling
- Medication management, advice and support
- Information and advice, including signposting to other services
- Independent living skills and develop leisure and social skills
- Referral on to appropriate services
- Individualised medical review
- A dedicated nurse to carry out Lithium monitoring (blood tests)
Why would someone choose the service?
We actively promote and involve service users, families and carers throughout an individual’s care. They are invited to attend meetings, assessments, and outpatient appointments.
We actively promote choice and informed decision making for the people who access our services.
98% of the people we see said they were treated by our service with dignity and respect. Over 90% of the people we see said we had fully met their expectations.
Our staff help service users work at their own pace and always respect their wishes.
Staff you may meet
- Administrative staff provide essential support to doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. This can be in a variety of different settings, with administrators working as a receptionist in a clinic or a clerk on a ward. They may also be working closely with a consultant as a medical secretary.
- There are more than 60 different specialities that doctors work within the NHS. Each is unique but there are many characteristics which are common. Roles range from working in a hospital to being based in the community as a GP.
- There are many people who work behind the scenes to keep services running and you may meet them in hospital or community settings. They include porters, cleaners, plumbers, electricians, decorators receptionists and secretaries who all work to make sure healthcare settings are kept clean, tidy and safe.
- Occupational therapy is the assessment and treatment of physical and psychiatric conditions using specific, purposeful activity to prevent disability and promote independent function in all aspects of daily life.
- The NHS employs a wide range of clinical staff, it wouldn’t be possible to list them all on this website! All our clinical staff are skilled, dedicated professionals who adhere to high standards of training and work-place practice.
- Psychiatrists are qualified doctors who diagnose and treat patients with mental health conditions. Psychiatry relies upon high-quality clinical skills assessments and diagnosis with help from technology.
- Adult psychotherapists work with people to assess and treat a range of emotional, social or mental health issues. They help people tackle problems such as behavioural issues, common challenges such as anxiety and depression or more complex or severe issues, such as psychosis or a personality disorder diagnosis.
- Receptionists are the first link for many patients and visitors. They often work on their own or with one or two other receptionists, greeting patients as they arrive and check them in. They might also collect patient notes and ensure that these vital records go to the right healthcare professional. In a clinic, they may make appointments and arrange patient transport.
- Social workers help, support and protect people who are facing difficulties in their lives. They help people to take positive steps to overcome problems and improve their lives. This could involve assessing and reviewing a service user’s situation, building relationships with service users and their families and agreeing what practical support someone needs.
Why a professional should choose the service
Every service user referred to with a non-urgent referral for assessment is seen within 14 days, in line with the regional CQUIN indicator two.
96% of our staff have received training in all mandatory areas such as information governance, health and safety and fire procedure.
We fully meet the requirements of the 72 hour follow up following an individual’s discharge.
We help to support good communication and understanding of service user needs by utilising key tools such as the Portrait of a Life (a Trust e-learning tool).
Support offered
Our team provides a range of support and treatments to people accessing our services. Some examples include:
- Support for family and carers
- Education sessions aimed at improving understanding for service users, carers, their families and other professionals
- Self-care 1-1 sessions aimed at building self-confidence, image and self-esteem
- Promoting engagement, motivation and independence
- Health screening to help improve physical and mental wellbeing
- Access to the intensive home-based treatment team to reduce the risk of service users needing to be admitted to hospital
- Advice and support for care homes
Outcomes
The team’s primary aim is to support those whose mental health is changing and help them to either recover to a level where they can confidently live in their local community or manage their mental health in a way that promotes tier independence. By engaging and supporting individuals improve their physical and mental wellbeing this gives them self-management skills to support their independence. Our preventative methods help to reduce relapse and improve an individual’s ability to manage their own wellbeing. These methods allow us to facilitate an individual’s discharge from hospital and support into suitable accommodation.
- Medication monitoring
- Reduce crisis situations for known service users to our team
- Offering carers support
- Supporting independence and inclusion within their local community
- Offering social care support packages to maintain independence when required
- Facilitate discharges from hospital setting into either to the community or other alternative accommodation
- Improve both physical and mental wellbeing
- Self-management skills
Referrals accepted from:
A & E, CMHTs, Consultants, Courts, Drug/alcohol agencies, GPs, Hospital staff, Other Trust services
Referral criteria:
All referrals come to our team via the Trust’s Rapid Access team who are the first point of contact with all mental health referrals in the Trust for those over 65 years of age. The only exception is referrals relating to safeguarding as they come directly from social care directly to the team if the individual is known to our service. People referred to our service are people aged over 65 with severe and long-standing mental health needs.