Service : Mental Health Integrated Community Service

Service overview

We’re part of the Berkshire Mental Health Service and provide specialised mental health support within the community, focusing on recovery and resilience. You may not have a diagnosed mental health condition, but simply feel that your mental health is significantly or seriously impacted.

We can offer support if you’re an adult living through difficult challenges with your mental health and your life, such as:

You live with a significant mental illness such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
You have life events or circumstances that are significantly contributing to poor mental health e.g., financial worries, relationship breakdowns, housing issues.
You have difficulty engaging with other mental health services.

Our team is made up of mental health professionals (nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists, mental health and wellbeing practitioners, doctors and pharmacists), as well as specialist community connectors employed from mental health focussed voluntary sector partners. Some of our teams also include lived experience practitioners for dedicated support.

Accessing our service

MHICS is accessible for adults over 18 who have a GP in Berkshire.

Ask your GP for more information about MHICS. Your GP can refer you to our MHICS services

We also accept referrals from other healthcare professionals, including talking therapists and mental health practitioners.
Unfortunately, we currently don’t accept self-referrals.

When you’re referred to us, we will arrange your first appointment within 4 weeks. We’ll talk with you about your situation and create our care plan steps with you. This could be some dedicated work in the community with you, or a short-term therapeutic treatment.

We will send letters and text messages to contact you and share information with you in your preferred format.

If you have any communication needs, we can accommodate you to ensure you feel comfortable and understood. This includes BSL for deaf and hard of hearing people.

Preparing for an assessment

We'll complete a full and detailed assessment with you, which will include questions about your mood, thoughts, medical history and background.
Your assessment will be carried out by a mental health professional, who could be a nurse, social worker, occupational therapist, doctor or psychologist.
On some occasions, you may meet with more than one of the above professionals as part of your assessment.
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.
Please let us know if you have any special needs or would like to be accompanied by a carer, family member or friend.

Managing your health

After your assessment, we’ll discuss a plan with you that best suits your needs and goals. This could include psychological therapy and medication, or support from local voluntary organisations and community groups to help improve your overall wellbeing.

We work closely with organisations and charities in your local area to give you access to different types of help, including peer support, housing and debt services, and support to build a healthy lifestyle. It could be that a combination of these, alongside your treatment, will work best for you.

We may recommend online therapy courses to help improve and maintain your 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 more