Making a referral - who might be involved
If you (or those who support you) are concerned about your mental health you might want to see a doctor or medical professional who has experience with mental ill health and learning disabilities. This is called making a referral.
These professionals may be a Psychiatrist, a Clinical Psychologist, or other Mental Health Professional Click on these names for some more information.
There is also more about what they do on this page.
Also if you click here you will find out about the information these professionals may want from you and your supporters to help them do their jobs.
These teams or individuals below may also be involved
Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) – Like the local Community Learning Disability Team (CLDT) this will be made up of people from a range of backgrounds. Social workers, Nurses, Occupation Therapists and Psychiatrists
Psychiatrist – Is a medically qualified doctor who specialises in the treatment of psychiatric problems. They may work in hospitals or the community. They will be responsible for diagnosis and treatment.
Clinical Psychologist – Individual skilled in diagnostic tests and tools, they will supervise therapies, they are possibly not medically trained but will have a degree in psychology and experience in further clinical work. They use psychological methods to assess and treat clinical problems, see treatment section for more information.
Mental Health Social Worker – Will be employed by the local authority rather than the NHS. A general Social Worker who specialises in the area of mental health. They can become an Approved Social Worker with extra training.
Asking to see one of these professionals is called making a referal. You (or your family or supporters) might make the appointment yourself or your GP or social worker might do it for you. There may be some time between asking for an appointment and getting one as these services can be very busy.
A number of things will help these professionals can be found by following this link, ruling out other possible things that might be causing the problems is very important, it is best to try and do this before making an referral.
Challenging behaviour, for example, may be the result of a physical illness or sensory impairment rather than a mental health problem. Discussing any issues as a family or staff team may help.
Written records and/or charts may help you and the medical professionals (these may include sleep charts, weight charts, daily records or incident forms, information about when these changes started, how often and their effects.
Any diagnosis of mental ill health for people who have a learning disability will mean people have a 'Dual Diagnosis', for more information click here