what to expect? First appointment with mental health team

[AhaShakeHeartbreak]

Was directed here from another thread I started.

GP referred me to MH team following on from a visit and being diagnosed with depression and PTSD.

My first appointment is at the end of the week and I am hoping that someone could shed some light on what to expect? It says it is for an initial assessment and I am a bit anxious as to what this will involve.

How many people am I likely to see? What will I have to do? Should I do anything to prepare for it?

Any help would be very much appreciated

Hi, usually you will see one person. Usually a nurse. They may take a history from you, ask what medications you had or tried or been prescribed. They may see you several times to assess you and then tell you what they recommend. Much depends on:

• what diagnosis is

-if need to be under a psychiatrist

• what services your area offers
• what your risk rating is perceived as

Alongside whatever their other criteria is. Do ask them what to expect.

A MH team is not a counselling/therapy team though in most CMHT's. services are usually referred to separately. The nurses and other team members may have some skills but are not therapists. They can support, signpost to other parts of NHS, medication supervision etc. you may be assigned a care co-ordinator - often called a cpn ( a community psychiatric nurse). They can visit you at home or at a clinic they work at. They can see you weekly/fortnightly/monthly etc etc.

Some areas have a short term treatment team where all new referrals are placed in order to see quickly and assess and offer short term intervention - perhaps for up to 12 sessions. Other teams work differently.

Do ask any questions you need to.

Hope it goes well for you and is helpful.

Some teams use a junior dr to do initial assessments as well. Often do not see them again!!

You could take a list of any medications with you maybe?

Thanks very much Silver. Your reply has been very reassuring

For some reason I had taken it into my head that I am going to be sitting in a room with loads of people, having to answer awkward questions and listen to them all speak about how 'broken' I am and how best to fix me Glad to know that this is not the case!