How to Get Support Support for people experiencing mental ill health, their families and their carers is available mainly through: The Health Services Social Work Departments Voluntary organisations User and carer support networks. Information Each of these sectors can offer different types of support. To find out what support is available to you or the person you care about, contact: Your doctor (General Practitioner) The social worker on duty at your local Social Work office Information centres run by national voluntary organisations (for phone numbers see FACT SHEET 6).
	Health Services General Practitioner (GP) GPs are often the first point of contact with the health services when someone begins to experience mental ill health. GPs help people with health problems or related matters. They can also put you in touch with community nurses or with a medical specialist such as a psychiatrist. Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN) When someone in the family has a mentalillness, the CPN may offer support to the whole family. They will keep an eye on the person's well being and arrange for any specific help they might need in relation to their illness. District/Community Nurse District/community nurses are based at GP practices or health centres and can be contacted through the GP. They visit people at home and offer help and advice on practical and medical problems. Occupational Therapist Occupational therapists advise people with mental health problems and their carers about practical care, such as help with shopping, cooking or budgeting. They also assess people and their carers for services they might need. They may be based in the community or in a hospital. Psychiatrist Psychiatrists are specialists in mental ill health and are generally based in psychiatric hospitals. Your GP can arrange for a referral to be made to a psychiatrist. Some people may need to be admitted to hospital, while others may see a psychiatrist as an outpatient or as a day patient. Psychologist Psychologists are specialists trained to understand the way people think and feel and the way they behave. They are not doctors and do not prescribe drugs. They help people to change the way they cope with life and support those recovering from health or personal problems to adjust back to normal life. Community Mental Health Teams Many professionals concerned with mental health issues now work together in community mental health teams. These may include psychiatrists, community psychiatric nurses, social workers, psychologists and occupational therapists.
	Social Work Departments Social Worker Social workers concerned with mental illness are often based in community care teams within your local social work department or in hospitals. They offer information and advice about a wide range of services and provide support, for example when someone is discharged from hospital. They may also be able to access charitable funds or organisations for specific purposes. One of their main tasks is assessing people and their carers for services they might need. (See FACT SHEET 5 for further information about assessment). Mental Health Officer (MHO) Mental Health Officers are social workers specially trained in the area of mental health. They may be involved in assessing a person's need to be admitted to hospital for treatment or to be the subject of a guardianship order. (See FACT SHEET 5 for further information.) They can also offer support advice and information to individuals and their families about mental illness. Support Worker Support Workers can help with practical tasks such as shopping and cooking. For a discussion about your needs, and whether they meet the criteria for the service, contact the community care team at your local social work office. They can also accompany the person to day activities or on outings.
	Support Networks Informal support networks for people affected by schizophrenia and their carers are growing in number. Increasingly people are finding that there is a wealth of understanding and support to be found in self-help and mutual support groups, Hearing Voices Networks and local forums for carers or service users. For contact numbers, see your local NSF(Scotland) Carers' Officer listed in FACT SHEET 6. Voluntary Organisations Voluntary organisations concerned with mental ill-health and related issues offer a wide range of services and supports. They run services on a not-for-profit basis which include supported housing, visiting support for those living in their own homes, training, employment and daytime activities. They also offer information and support for carers and their families. For contact telephone numbers, see FACT SHEET 6.
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