Mental Health

How we support those caring for an adult with mental health issues and other useful contacts.

// Carers In Herts > Resources > Caring for a Specific Condition > Mental Health

We want to encourage carers of people with a mental health condition to become more involved in the planning and delivery of health, social care, and community services in Hertfordshire.

In order to improve these services it is important that the experiences and views of carers are listened to and raised with those who commission and deliver services..

We believe we make a difference by working together, co-production. The involvement of carers is very much needed:

To give carers a real say in what services are working well and how they are delivered
To ensure planners and managers hear about services which are not effective or supportive
To ensure services respect people’s dignity, independence and promote recovery
To ensure carers get the help and advice they need when they need it
To influence the development of new and better services.

We have an Involvement Newsletter that comes out twice a year and monthly bulletins via email. It is available on our Carewaves and Newsletters page.

Who are we?

We have a team of Carers Involvement and Development Workers that are funded by NHS organisations in Hertfordshire and Hertfordshire County Council. They work with people in different caring situations, including with people looking after a relative, partner, or friend with a mental health condition, who misuses drugs or alcohol or has a dual diagnosis (both a mental illness and substance misuse).

What do we do?

We will:

Provide you with the training and support you may need to help you represent your views to the health and social care authorities who commission and manage mental health services in Hertfordshire
Provide you with the opportunity to meet and talk to other carers who have had similar experiences to your own
Hold Mental Health Carers’ Meetings, both in person and virtually via Zoom. The meetings enable carers to socialise with others in a similar situation and to share information and concerns. To find out about our meetings, please get in touch.
Feed your views into Hertfordshire’s Mental Health Co-production Board, which has representatives from statutory services, the voluntary sector, service users and carers. For more information on Co-production in Hertfordshire CLICK HERE

Mental Health News and Events

Hertfordshire’s out-of-hours mental health crisis service – Nightlight – is provided by Herts Mind Network. It has centres that offer a safe haven for you to use if you want some time out or would like to talk through the issues that you are experiencing with someone who will listen, but not make judgements. You can find out more information about the service at www.hertsmindnetwork.org/nightlight

Hertfordshire Mind Network also provides a helpline for people in Hertfordshire to call if they are feeling distressed or experiencing a mental health crisis. The helpline number is 01923 256391 and is open seven days a week at various hours – mainly in the evenings and overnight. For more information about the helpline visit www.hertsmindnetwork.org/crisis-helpline

Other useful contacts

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) provides support and care for those with mental ill health or a learning disability. You can find out an update (from September 2020) about their services during COVID-19 and the easing of lockdown restrictions in the download area below.

Rethink Mental Illness provide a range of services including carer support. They run a Caring and Coping Course over six sessions, provided online during the coronavirus situation.

The Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board also has a list of services in the county which provide mental health support for adults which you may find useful. This list is available at this link.