Service overview
We're the Mental Health Integrated Community Service, also known as MHICS.
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 feel that conditions or life events are affecting your mental health, such as:
- significant mental illness including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- difficult circumstances, like financial worries, relationship breakdowns, housing issues
- difficulty engaging with other mental health services
Our team is made up of mental health professionals, such as nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists, mental health and wellbeing practitioners, doctors and pharmacists.
We also work with 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
You can access MHICS if you're over 18, and have a GP in Berkshire.
You can ask your GP for more information about us, and for a referral.
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.
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
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.
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.
Managing your health
After your assessment, we’ll create a care plan which best suits your needs and goals. This could include psychological therapy and medication.
Our community connectors may guide you to local voluntary organisations and charities to help improve your overall wellbeing. This might include peer support, housing and debt services, and support to build a healthy lifestyle.
We will send letters and text messages to contact you and share information with you in your preferred format.
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 moreContact us and FAQs
Bracknell
Mental Health Integrated Community Service
Contact number: 0118 904 2820 Open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. Closed on bank holidays.
Reading
Mental Health Integrated Community Service
Contact number: 0118 904 3400 Open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. Closed on bank holidays.
West Berkshire
Mental Health Integrated Community Service
Contact number: 0118 904 4770 Open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. Closed on bank holidays.
Wokingham
Mental Health Integrated Community Service
Contact number: 0118 904 4780 Open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. Closed on bank holidays.
Slough
Mental Health Integrated Community Service
Contact number: 0118 904 2819 Open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. Closed on bank holidays.
Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead
Mental Health Integrated Community Service
Contact number: 0118 904 2818 Open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. Closed on bank holidays.
Frequently asked questions
Will I be seen face to face?
Appointments can be face to face, online through video call, or by telephone, depending on clinical need and your preference.
Where is my information held?
Information is stored on our secure NHS system and will be accessible to professionals involved in your care.
This means you will 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, MHICS can see carers in their own right and provide support and signposting.
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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MHICS is delivered through formal partnership arrangements with specialist local organisations (Bucks MIND and Mind in Berkshire) who provide individual wellbeing and mental health support as part of the MHICS care plan.
We also work closely with other community and social care organisations to provide mental health, social and wellbeing support and signposting to other services.
This means that in order to provide better support for you and your carers with your health and social care needs, some of your information may be shared with staff from other organisations, and 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.