Service overview
We are the Community Mental Health Services (CMHS), and we help people with a range of mental health needs.
We offer treatment and support if you have significant mental health difficulties that limit one or more major life activities, including the ability to function in daily life.
We're a team of mental health professionals, including nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists, mental health and wellbeing practitioners, doctors and pharmacists.
We also work with specialist community connectors, employed from voluntary sector partners, who focus on mental health and, in some teams, lived experience practitioners for dedicated wellbeing support.
Accessing our service
You can access our service if you're aged over 18 years, and have a GP in Berkshire.
Your GP can make a referral for you.
They may offer an appointment with a dedicated mental health worker first, before referring you to our service.
Unfortunately, we do not accept self-referrals.
Once you've been referred, we will get in touch by letter and text message to arrange your first appointment.
We offer planned appointments either at one of our locations, in your home, by online video call or at another agreed location that suits your needs.
Please let us know if there are any accessibility adjustments we could make, and if you would like to be accompanied by a carer, family member or friend.
This includes if you would like us to share information with you in your preferred format.
We can also arrange language interpreters, including British Sign Language (BSL), to make sure you feel understood and welcome.
Care professionals
You can make a referral on someone else's behalf if you are a healthcare professional in NHS Talking Therapies, a social worker, or a health visitor.
Please contact The Gateway referrals team, also known as the Common Point of Entry Team (CPE).
The Gateway
Available 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays)
Contact number: 0300 365 2000 (option 4)
Email: gateway@berkshire.nhs.uk
Preparing for an assessment
We’ll invite you to an appointment where we will complete a detailed assessment with you.
We'll ask you to complete a survey before your appointment to help us to understand your current symptoms and keep track of whether the treatment we offer you is meeting your needs.
Your assessment will be carried out by a mental health professional such as a nurse, social worker, occupational therapist, doctor or psychologist. We'll ask you about your mood, thoughts, medical history, and background.
On some occasions, you may meet with more than one type of care professional. This is to help us better understand the type of help you may need.
Our community connectors may also offer a Wellbeing Conversation and ask you to complete some questionnaires to keep track of whether the treatment offered is meeting your needs.
Managing your health
After your assessment, your named worker will agree an individual plan with you that best suits your needs and goals.
We recognise that recovery looks different for everyone and we structure your support to help you make meaningful progress, no matter the difficulties you are facing.
This plan may include:
- group and individual psychological therapy
- medication management and monitoring
- occupational therapy
- a formal diagnosis, where helpful
- social care support
- physical health monitoring
- employment support to tackle work-related issues and to find or stay in work
Your plan may also include local voluntary organisations, community groups and charities in your area to give you access to different types of help, including peer support, faith groups, housing and debt services, and support to build a healthy lifestyle.
It could be that a combination of these elements, alongside your treatment, will work best for you to help improve your overall wellbeing.
Your e-Health Passport
Your e-Health Passport lets us know what's important to you - from your preferred name and pronouns to how you'd like us to support you and communicate with you.
Learn moreContact us and FAQs
Our locations
We work in six locations in Berkshire.
We're open Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm, by appointment only.
We're closed on weekends and bank holidays.
Please only contact us by phone if you're an existing patient with us.
We may guide you to another service if you need help outside work hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I be seen face to face?`
Appointments can be face to face, online video or telephone, depending on clinical need and individual preference.
Where is my information held?
We store information on our secure NHS system, which can be accessed by professionals involved in your care.
This means you'll only have one assessment and won’t have to keep repeating yourself to any new professional you meet.
Can my carer access support and information?
Yes. CMHS can see carers in their own right and provide support and signposting.
How long will I have to wait for the assessment?
Our waiting times can vary, and we will let you know how long you can expect to wait once you have been referred.
You can also always contact the clinic for the most up-to-date information.
We can also help you with
Is there any information for friends, family and carers?
If you’re a family member, carer, or you look after someone, there’s practical, financial, and emotional support available from a range of local communities and national organisations.
How do I request an interpreter?
We can provide language translation and interpretation support.
Tell our staff which language you prefer to use, and we will make sure the right communication support is in place for your assessment and treatment. Please let us know as early as possible so we can ensure the appropriate translation or interpreting support is available.
We offer a range of professional services to ensure everyone can understand and be understood:
- Telephone interpreting
- Video remote interpreting (VRI)
- Face‑to‑face interpreting
- Written translation
- British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting
How can I get information in an accessible format?
Anyone with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss has the right to get information in a format that meets their needs.
The Accessible Information Standard (AIS) is a legal requirement for all health and adult social care providers. This means making sure that people who use our services, including carers and families, can understand our information and communicate with us easily.
We can offer information in a range of accessible formats, including:
- British Sign Language (BSL)
- Large print
- Braille
- Audio
- Easy read
- Text message
- Face‑to‑face support with a carer or advocate present
If you need information in any of these formats, please tell a member of our team and we will make sure your communication needs are met.
Are service dogs allowed to my appointment?
Yes, you are welcome to bring your registered service animal, such as a guide dog, hearing dog, medical alert dog, or other trained assistance dog to your appointment.
These animals are recognised as essential support and are permitted in most areas of our services.
To help us prepare, please let the team know before your appointment if you will be attending with a service animal. This allows us to make sure the environment is safe and comfortable for you, your animal, and other patients.
Please note that service animals may not be able to enter certain restricted clinical areas for safety or infection‑control reasons, but we will always work with you to find an appropriate alternative.
What does it mean to treat our team with respect?
Respect is important.
We will be polite and kind and we expect that you treat our staff in the same way.
Abuse, hate and discrimination against our staff is unacceptable.
We will take strong action against anyone who is verbally, racially, physically, or sexually abusive to them.
This may include contacting the police to prosecute, and stopping future access to our healthcare services.
How do I find my NHS number?
The easiest way to find your NHS number is using the official NHS online service which can be accessed below.
You may also want to read our guidance page for more information about other ways to find your NHS number or what to do if you cannot find yours.
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Share your feedback: Have your sayRelated services
Specialist care and support that may be offered to you, following your assessment:
Early Intervention in Psychosis Service
Assessment and intervention for adults experiencing psychosis for the first time, or who may be at risk of developing psychosis.
Early Intervention in Psychosis Service: Go to serviceIndividual Placement and Support Employment Service
Help for people being supported by our mental health services to find and retain paid work.
Individual Placement and Support Employment Service: Go to serviceIntensive Management of Personality Disorder and Clinical Therapies Team
Help to understand complex emotional needs and relationship issues linked to personality disorders.
Intensive Management of Personality Disorder and Clinical Therapies Team: Go to serviceManaging Emotions Programme
Interactive group courses to help you understand how intense emotions can negatively affect life, work, and relationships (known as psychoeducation).
Managing Emotions Programme: Go to serviceService User Network
Peer support groups for over-18s experiencing difficulties with emotions and personality disorders (no diagnosis required).
Service User Network: Go to serviceMemory Clinic
Assessments for memory and concentration difficulties and support to manage symptoms and plan for future life decisions.
Memory Clinic: Go to serviceOlder People's Mental Health Service
Support for difficulties with memory, thinking, or behaviour related to getting older, and for under-65s with young-onset dementia.
Older People's Mental Health Service: Go to serviceCrisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team
Mental health assessment at home or a community setting and, where possible, treatment to avoid admission to hospital.
Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team: Go to serviceLet’s Connect Wellbeing Network
A social network to support people by connecting with others, organisations, services, and community opportunities.
Let’s Connect Wellbeing Network: Go to serviceExternal support
We have formal partnership arrangements with specialist local organisations who provide individual wellbeing and mental health support.
We work closely with other community and social care organisations to provide mental health and wellbeing support.
To provide the right support for you and your carers, we may securely share some of your information with staff from other organisations.
A community connector or mental health support worker may contact you to offer mental health support while you wait for, or receive care from, our mental health services.
Alliance For Cohesion and Racial Equality
ACRE (Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality) is a Reading-based charity dedicated to promoting equality, inclusion, and community cohesion across the Greater Reading area.
Bucks Mind
Offering talking therapies, crisis support, and wellbeing services. The organisation is dedicated to preventing mental ill-health and reducing social isolation.
East Berkshire Safe Haven
A free out-of-hours mental health crisis service. Run by Mental Health Matters in partnership with the NHS, it provides a safe, welcoming, and non-clinical space for adults experiencing emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, or a general mental health crisis.
Berkshire West Breathing Space
A mental health support service operated by the charity Together for Mental Wellbeing. It provides a safe, welcoming environment for adults (18+) experiencing emotional distress, mental health crises, or struggling to cope, regardless of the reason.
Elmore Community Services
An Oxfordshire-based charity that supports individuals with complex, interconnected needs who often struggle to access mainstream services.
Slough Council for Voluntary Service
A charity and umbrella organisation that supports and develops the voluntary and community sector in Slough, Berkshire.