Community Mental Health Teams
Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) work in partnership with Health and Social Services along with other voluntary sector providers.
CMHTs provide care for working-age adults (18-65 years) who have moderate to severe, unstable mental health problems.
Individuals with mild to moderate difficulties or those whose symptoms are stable are advised to see the Primary Mental Health Support Service.
In Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Community Mental Health Teams serve populations according to their GP practice.
Community Mental Health Teams aim to:
- Promote health and recovery
- Provide a local response to local people
- Deliver individualised care based on a person's needs
- Offer a variety of services including assessment, diagnosis and treatment
- Utilise a range of therapies, techniques and social interventions
Psychologists in the Adult Mental Health Specialty provide input to all 8 of our adult Community Mental Health Teams across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
We also provide input to the following Specialist Services:
- Addiction Service
- Assertive Outreach Service
- Borderline Personality Disorder Service (Cynnwys)
- Crisis Assessment Service
- Adult Eating Disorder Service
- Locality Wards
- Low Secure Services
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Pathway
- Perinatal Community Mental Health Service
- Rehabilitation/Recovery
- Traumatic Stress Clinic
- Younger Onset Dementia Service
We supplement our services with help from Cardiff University clinical psychology doctoral trainees and both undergraduate psychology students and psychology graduate volunteers who are interviewed and appointed to year-long placements. (We do not offer work experience placements for school pupils.)
Referrals to CMHTs are usually made by GPs although referrals are taken from other organisations or professionals if appropriate.
People who have been provided with treatment by a CMHT can self-refer for a re-assessment for up to 3 years from their discharge date.
Please click here for a list of GP practices and their CMHTs.
The teams provide a range of interventions to meet different levels of need from assessment and advice through to treatment and care coordination.
Services focus on the individual's health, strengths and well-being. All teams have a variety of professionals available. Community Mental Health Teams see people in their clinical bases as well as in the comfort of their own home.
If it is necessary for individuals to be admitted to hospital, Community Mental Health Teams work with treatment wards to ensure that people are able to return home with the right level of care and support without delay.
Support for carers
If you provide care or support for someone with a mental illness, you can be offered a Carers Assessment by the Local Authority, the CMHT will facilitate referrals for this.
For more information on the support available for unpaid carers, please visit this webpage.
