Emergency mental health support
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
If your mental or emotional state quickly gets worse or deteriorates, this can be called a 'mental health crisis'. In this situation, it is important to get help quickly.
If you are experiencing something that makes you feel unsafe, distressed, or worried about your mental health, you can access local urgent mental health support by calling NHS 111 and selecting the mental health option.
If you or someone you know requires immediate assistance for serious or life-threatening emergency mental or physical health, please call 999 or go to the emergency department.
What happens when I call?
The phone will be answered by a trained mental health professional who will be able to listen to your concerns and help you get the support you need.
With your permission, they can also access your electronic patient record to better meet your needs and avoid you repeatedly having to tell us your situation. They can offer advice over the phone and assess the best way to support you.
Who can call?
You can call for yourself, or someone else. NHS 111 is for all ages, including children and young people and those with neurodevelopmental needs.
If you’re deaf or have hearing loss, you will be given an option for an interpreter when you call 111.
If you aren't able to make the call yourself, then anyone can call on your behalf - for example a friend, carer, loved one or even your GP.
The service is available to anyone facing a mental health crisis, which could include:
- Changes to your mood
- Withdrawing from people (close family, friends, or work colleagues)
- Not taking care of yourself like you usually would
- Having increased thoughts about your life not being worth living
- Excessive worry
- Feeling out of control or unable to cope
- Feeling anxious about leaving the house
- Hearing voices or seeing things that others can’t
- Thinking about harming yourself.
By calling NHS 111, and selecting the mental health option, we can help to get you the urgent support you need for your mental health.
If you are using our mental health services, or care for someone who does, during office hours your first point of contact should be the person that you usually see (a care coordinator, or named lead professional). For out of hours support, a local crisis team can help support you. Contact details should be in your care plan, but if you don't have these, call our Single Point of Access Team on 0303 123 4000 or email Lincs.spa@nhs.net.
If you have been discharged from mental health services within the last 12 months, you will have been given information on what to do if your mental health deteriorates. This will be in your discharge plan.
Please note that the NHS 111 mental health option cannot:
- Provide prescriptions (this is accessed by 111 option 1 for physical health)
- Visit people at home or offer a face—to-face assessment
- Offer a diagnosis service
- Conduct mental health act assessments
- Arrange hospital admissions
- Offer welfare checks
- Refer into GP surgeries
Other local mental health support
There is no "one size fits all approach" to mental health support. Therefore, we have a number of self-referral options available locally.
If you are seeking emotional wellbeing and mental health support for children and young people, please call the Lincolnshire Here4You advice line on 0800 234 6342 (open 24/7). Children and young people can also self-refer online at www.lpft.nhs.uk/young-people/lincolnshire/young-people/self-referral
Alternatively, the Shout text messaging service is also available if you are unable to call. Text 'SHOUT' to 85258 to start a conversation, via text, with a trained volunteer, who will provide free and confidential support.
If you are 16 or over and feeling stressed, anxious, low in mood or depressed, you can self-refer to Lincolnshire Talking Therapies service.
Your general practitioner (GP) will also be able to discuss your needs and refer you to the most appropriate support in your area.
If you don’t have a GP, use the NHS website to locate the nearest one to you.
Alternatively, there are also lots of community resources available such as Night Light Cafes, community hubs and other groups and activities that may support you. You can search your local area for what is available at www.haylincolnshire.co.uk
