Mental health

We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. Our mental health is how we’re feeling inside, or how we are feeling emotionally.

The Importance of Mental Health

Our mental health is as important as our physical health. It strongly affects our daily lives and our ability to do the things we need to do.

When our mental health is good, we feel good inside. We might feel calm or content, peaceful, hopeful and accepting of ourselves and valued by the people who matter to us. When our mental health is not so good, life feels more of a struggle. We might often feel sad or tearful, and hopeless and exhausted. We might feel under unbearable stress, or often worried about bad things happening to us or people. We may have more serious mental health disorders. It can be hard to keep going.

Feeling like this for a while can be a sign that we need help with our mental health.

If you are worried about your own, or someone else’s mental health, your first contact will often be your GP. Talk to your doctor about your concerns. They may prescribe medication or counselling, or refer you to services provided in the community, or to more specialised mental health care and support.

The council has a mental health social care service which has a crucial part to play in working with health services, supporting and improving the mental health of local people.

People of all ages across the Black Country can access local mental health crisis services 24 hours a day.

If you find yourself in a mental health crisis, it can be difficult to know what to do.

NHS 111 is here to help with the introduction of a mental health option for urgent mental health support. This will be option two.

To access the service call 111 and selection option two.

Please note: If you would prefer to text this service, you can contact 07860 025 281

The extension of the 111 service means if you are experiencing a mental health crisis you will be able to dial the NHS urgent medical advice number (111), and by choosing ‘mental health option’ will be put through to your local crisis service.

Specially trained mental health staff will speak to you, discuss your urgent needs, and assess the best way to support you depending on your symptoms.

If you have physically harmed yourself, or if you feel your life is at risk, then A&E is the right place to go.

Mental Health Social Care

An adult mental health social care service is provided by dedicated teams in the council. The teams are made up of social workers and social care support staff.

The service’s aim is to promote mental health recovery. This is done by encouraging people's independence and wellbeing, through personalised care and support that focuses on people’s strengths, what they want to achieve and gives people choice and control. Staff are trained to work in very much in partnership with people, families and carers.

The service focuses on:

Helping people access the social care and social work services and advice to which they are entitled
Promoting people’s mental health recovery, including supporting families
Working in partnership, innovatively with local communities to support individuals, families and communities.

Community Engagement

Community engagement works connecting people to communities. It includes Woodside Day Service. Here people come to be supported by professionals to move forward with their mental health journey, meet with other people and do therapeutic activites that they enjoy.

Community Engagement and Woodside Day Service

18-40 and 40+ Support

The two Mental Health Teams 18-40 and 40+ work with individuals who have been assessed by the community engagement team as in need of mental health community social care services, or who are already under secondary mental health services and need social care support.

The teams aim to provide appropriate therapeutic support. They also work alongside people to establish their needs, develop support plans, risk assessments and undertake Mental Capacity Assessments. In addition they prepare social circumstances reports for tribunals; provide discharge planning for hospital and mental health wards and undertake safeguarding enquires.

Mental Health Team 18-40 and 40+

AMHP Hub

The Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHP) Service is responsible for undertaking mental health assessments of people, under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHP) Hub

Adult Social Care Deputyship Service

If someone lacks the mental capacity to manage their money and are not capable of managing their finances, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 sets out who can make decisions on behalf of the person. If the person has no friends or family to help them, or has been deemed to be at risk of financial abuse, the council's Client Management of Finances Team may be able to take over responsibility for receiving benefits, paying bills, repaying debts and budgeting.

The team will work to safeguard a person by ensuring that they are adequately housed and looked after, all bills are paid, and they have enough money for everyday living expenses. They will manage their benefits, pensions and other income in accordance with rules and regulations.

Overview Adult Mental Health Service

Protecting Adults from Harm

Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 your rights are protected if you lack capacity to make decisions for yourself. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards also ensure people in hospitals who lack capacity are cared for in a way that does not restrict their freedom.

Protecting adults from harm

Dudley Safeguarding

If you are concerned about a child, young person or adult, report it

Dudley Adults Portal

The Dudley Adults Portal is available for residents, carers and professionals of Dudley to access information in the community and services available in Adult Social Care

Dudley Community Information Directory

Find out full details of all our services across the borough

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Providing a wide range of integrated mental health services.

Dudley Talking Therapy Service

Dudley Talking Therapy Service helps people with more low level mental health problems such as:

mild depression
low mood
stress
anxiety
panic
phobias

You can refer yourself, or access the service through your GP.

Black Country Mental Health

Black Country Mental Health is a mental health charity committed to provide emotional, social and therapeutic support and rehabilitation to individuals experiencing mental ill health.