Mental health services and programs explained

If you think that you or someone you know has a mental health problem, there are several ways to seek advice, information and referral. A good starting point is your local doctor, who can carry out an initial assessment of your mental health needs and refer you to specialists if needed.

For more specialized help, you can contact a local mental health service. Public mental health services, private health providers, not-for-profit groups and community organizations all offer support, alongside your primary care doctor.

In an emergency, call your local emergency number (for example 911 in the US and Canada, 112 across the EU and many countries, 999 in the UK, or 000 in Australia) for emergency services.

Getting urgent help#

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call emergency services. For people who need urgent help with their mental health, police, ambulance staff or a doctor may involve a crisis assessment and treatment team. These teams — sometimes called crisis or acute community intervention services — can assess a person and provide treatment in their own home, and they typically operate 24 hours a day.

How mental health services are organized#

Public mental health services are usually organized by local area, and programs are commonly grouped by age:

• Services for children and young people
• Services for adults
• Services for older people

Hospitals provide treatment for people with serious mental illness, while community mental health services, private psychiatric services and other specialist clinics offer further options for people who need more intensive treatment.

Services for adults#

Mental health services for adults often include:

• Public hospital care — treatment for both voluntary and compulsory patients through acute inpatient wards.
• Community-based services and crisis teams — bridging the gap between hospital care and living in the community, including crisis assessment and treatment teams.
• Community care units — longer-term residential rehabilitation in the community.
• Prevention and recovery care services — short-stay residential care that can help prevent a hospital admission or support recovery afterwards.
• Outpatient clinical treatment — ongoing care delivered through clinics.
• Community support services — often run by non-government organizations, these help people with severe, enduring mental illness with daily activities so they can live successfully in the community.

Specialist services are also available for people with particular needs, such as families (including those affected by family violence), people who have both an intellectual disability and a mental illness, people with eating disorders or personality disorders, people living in remote areas, some populations, new parents dealing with antenatal or postnatal mental health issues, people with an acquired brain injury or neurodegenerative condition with an associated psychiatric disorder, and military veterans.

Services for children and young people#

Specialist mental health services are available for children and adolescents, generally up to the age of 18. Young people in their late teens may be treated by either a child and adolescent service or an adult service, depending on their needs. Services can include:

• Liaison psychiatry — consultation and assessment for patients and families within a health service, often in pediatric inpatient wards, for children who have a medical illness (for example, cystic fibrosis or leukemia) along with psychiatric symptoms.
• Inpatient units for children — assessment and treatment for younger children experiencing severe emotional, behavioral and relationship difficulties.
• Developmental assessment — diagnostic assessment of children with serious developmental disorders such as autism.
• Day programs — integrated therapeutic and educational support for young people with behavioral difficulties, emotional problems such as severe depression or anxiety, or severe mental illness.
• Intensive outreach — mobile case management and support for adolescents with substantial, prolonged psychological disturbance and complex needs, which may include at-risk or suicidal behavior.
• School-based early intervention — programs designed to reduce the impact of behavioral and conduct problems.

Some services also provide community consultation and help link children and families into appropriate community supports, including school support. There are also specialist organizations and youth-focused services that offer free support, information, counseling and advice to young people, often in person at local centers and by phone or online.

Services for older people#

Specialist mental health services are available for people over the age of 65 and the elderly. These can include:

• Community teams — assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and case management, as well as support and education for other aged care providers, for people using the service, and for carers.
• Specialist residential care — for people whose mental illness cannot be managed in mainstream aged care.
• Acute inpatient services — short-term treatment during an acute phase of illness, until the person can be supported in the community.

Helplines and telephone support#

Mental health helplines are a valuable resource if you are struggling. They let you speak to someone who will listen, give appropriate advice, and explain the steps to get help. Many regions have free telephone and online counseling services, including dedicated lines for children and young people, general crisis and suicide-prevention support, and support for specific groups. Look for the helplines that serve your area.

Getting a referral and ongoing treatment#

Your doctor can suggest mental health services in your area, or refer you to a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professional in the community, often for a limited number of sessions to begin with. Depending on where you live, some of the cost of these services may be covered or subsidized — ask your doctor about what support is available locally.

If a psychiatrist decides you need more intensive treatment, they can arrange it through the most appropriate service, including community mental health programs, residential clinics and hospitals.

Key points#

• Your local doctor is a good first point of contact for assessment and referral.
• Public, private, not-for-profit and community organizations all provide mental health support.
• Crisis assessment and treatment teams can provide urgent help, including care at home, and usually operate 24 hours a day.
• Services are commonly organized by age, with specialist programs for particular needs.
• Helplines offer free, confidential support and advice over the phone and online.

Where to get help#