Mental Health: First steps for getting help
Children, young people and families that are experiencing mild or temporary difficulties or are adjusting to life circumstances where getting and acting on advice hasn’t helped to resolve their difficulties or where their difficulties have got worse may benefit from short term evidence based treatments from health services.
Local Resources
Kooth
Kooth is an online counselling and emotional well-being platform for children and young people aged 11 - 18, accessible through mobile, tablet and desktop and free at the point of use.
Books on Prescription
Books on Prescription Scheme provides books chosen by health experts and people living with the range of conditions covered. A prescription may be issued by a doctor or other health professional and then book can be borrowed from your local library.
IPSUM
IPSUM are a local Mental Health Charity providing therapeutic creative arts, music and talking therapies for people age 16+.
Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind
In partnership with National Mind, Swindon and Glouctershire Mind Promote local wellbeing through a range of services including; Self Harm Counselling; 1:1 Support; Community based sessions including sports & crafts.
Swindon Step
Swindon Step are a local youth charity for 10- 18 year olds, offering therapeutic interventions.
Out of The Can
Out of The Can are a local youth group and peer support for children and young people who are part of the LGBT community, including emotional support.
On Trak Youth Counselling
On Trak Youth Counselling provide free advice, support and services to young people in Swindon between the ages of 14-19 (at the time of referral), who are experiencing a mental health problem or emotional distress. An appointment can be made via phone by the person needing the service, or by parents and carers. Following the initial appointment when an assessment will be made, the young person may be offered short, medium or long-term one-to-one counselling, usually on a weekly basis. Where appropriate, they may also be referred or directed to other support services.
Swindon and District Local Samaritans
Swindon and District Samaritans have been offering emotional support for over 50 years. You can telephone, email or call in to see us at our premises at 6 Curtis Street near Swindon town centre. You don’t need an appointment to talk to one of our trained volunteers but it is worth ‘phoning us first to see if we are open when you plan to visit.
We are active in the community and regularly visit the Jobcentre, Erlestoke Prison and local events. Our volunteers are also available to deliver presentations about our work and emotional health to schools, workplaces, clubs and organisations.
Talk to us any time you like, in your own way, and off the record – about whatever’s getting to you. You don't have to be suicidal to call us.
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Telephone: 116 123
Website: https://www.samaritans.org/branches/swindon/
Swindon Samaritans Twitter
National Resources
NHS App Library
The NHS App Library provides a range of apps (both free and paid) that are available to support in managing mental health. These include:
- MeeTwo is an award winning free fully moderated app for teenagers, which provides peer support, expert help, inbuilt educational and creative resources as well as in app links to UK charities and helplines.
- SilverCloud is an online course to help you manage stress, anxiety and depression. You work through a series of topics selected by a therapist to address specific needs. The eight-week course is designed to be completed in your own time and at your own pace.
- Catch It will teach you how to look at problems in a different way, turn negative thoughts into positive ones and improve your mental wellbeing.
The Centre for Clinical Interventions is a specialist clinical psychology service in Australia that has a range of online resources including information sheets, worksheets and workbooks using a cognitive behavioural therapy approach.
Get Self Help provides a range of free resources to support you in overcoming mental health based on a cognitive behavioural therapy approach.
DBT Self Help provides a range of self help resources using a dialectical behavioural therapy approach. Their website includes resources for mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.
Mood Gym is an online training programme that uses cognitive behavioural therapy techniques to help prevent and manage the symptoms of depression. There is small charge of £21 for 12 month subscription.
SANEline
SANEline provides emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental illness, including family, friends and carers. Their mental health support services are confidential and offer non-judgemental and compassionate emotional support.
Their current number cannot operate at the moment, however you can leave a message on 07984 976 708 giving your first name and a contact number and one of their professionals or senior volunteers will call you bas as soon as possible.
You can also email support@sane.org.uk and they will respond as soon as possible.
Their normal support forum and Textcare services are still open. Textcare is designed to provide emotional support and connection at the times when you need it most. They provide bespoke one-way messages directly to your mobile.
Textcare is a confidential service for those ages 16 and over and each message sent will be individually written for you based on the information you give in the form on their website. For this reason you need to submit your request a minimum of 72 hours before the time you would like to receive a message and they can’t send you more than one message in a seven day period.