Helping you get the right mental health support, when you need it.
Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams bring together local NHS mental health services, GPs, and community and voluntary organisations to offer joined-up, personalised support for your mental health.
Our goal is to make sure you get the right help, focused on what matters to you - without needing to repeat your story or navigate different services.
Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams are designed to put your needs at the centre of your care, offering support that is more joined-up across services and tailored to your individual goals and priorities.
There are 15 teams across Sussex - seven in West Sussex, five in East Sussex, and three in Brighton and Hove.
Each team includes a range of professionals and support services working together as one - including services previously known as:
- Assessment and Treatment Services (ATS): Mental health assessment and personalised treatment.
- Emotional Wellbeing Service (EWS) and Primary Care Mental Health Practitioners: Information, advice, guidance and support for mental health in GP surgeries.
- Access Facilitators: Work closely with GPs to support people with a serious mental illness to access physical health checks.
- Community Connectors in East Sussex: Social prescribing service connecting people to community groups and activities.
- Health & Wellbeing Service/ Screen and Intervene: Specialist social prescribing service providing support for people following their annual physical health check.
- Employment Support/ Work and Wellbeing Service: Support to find and keep work while managing mental health.
- Pathfinder West Sussex: Information, advice and guidance for community-based mental health support.
- Specialist Older Adults Mental Health Services (SOAMHS) and Dementia and Older People's Mental Health Services (DOPMHS): Specialised mental health care for older adults.
By working in partnership with your local GP and community providers, Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams ensure your care is joined-up, responsive, and focused on your unique needs.
Please note: If you're already receiving support from one of the services listed above, there will be no changes to your care.
Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams provide community-based mental health support for adults aged 18 and over, living in Sussex, who are going through mental health challenges that are affecting their daily life.
This includes people with:
- Moderate to complex mental health needs
- Conditions such as anxiety, depression, and trauma
- Serious mental illnesses (e.g. bipolar disorder, schizophrenia)
- Co-occurring issues, including substance use, dementia, or neurodivergence
Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams are committed to providing inclusive and equitable support, actively working to improve access for underserved communities who may have faced barriers to mental health care and support.
When you're referred to a Neighbourhood Mental Health Team:
- We listen – we take time to understand your situation and what matters most to you.
- We agree together – we’ll plan the next steps with you, not for you.
- We connect you – to the most appropriate support available in your community.
Throughout your care, you'll be treated with kindness, compassion, and respect.
To help coordinate your care, when you are referred to a Neighbourhood Mental Health Team, information about you will be shared securely through an online patient record system.
This allows the team involved in your care to better understand your needs and coordinate support effectively.
Only essential information is shared, and always in line with data protection laws.
For more information about this, see our Frequently Asked Questions below or speak to the person who referred you.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need to give consent for my information to be shared to access support from a Neighbourhood Mental Health Team? When you're referred to a Neighbourhood Mental Health Team, sharing is implied. This means that we need to share some of your health information with the professionals involved in your care. This helps us work together to plan and provide the right support for you, without delays or confusion.
- How is my information shared? Your health information is stored securely in a shared electronic patient record system, used by the core team (including NHS staff and key partner organisations like Southdown and BHT Sussex). Only people directly involved in your care can access your information, and only what’s necessary to support you. This is known as implied consent – by agreeing to the referral and care, it’s understood that you’re happy for your information to be shared within the core Neighbourhood Mental Health Team for the purpose of your treatment.
- What if I don’t want my information shared? You have the right to say no. If you don’t want your information to be shared, let your GP or the person referring you know. We’ll explain what this means – for example, it might limit the support we can offer through the Neighbourhood Mental Health Team. We'll always respect your wishes, unless there’s a legal reason or immediate risk to safety that means we must share information.
- Can I change my mind later? Yes – you can update your consent at any time. Just speak to someone in your care team, and we’ll review your preferences and update your records.
- Is my information safe? Yes – all information is handled securely, in line with data protection laws. Everyone involved in your care follows strict rules and receives regular training on how to manage information safely.
Existing referral routes to services working as part of the Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams remain in place.
- Speak to your GP or a mental health professional who can refer you to your local Neighbourhood Mental Health Team.
- In East Sussex and Brighton & Hove, if you are seeking support from NHS Talking Therapies, you can self-refer.
- In West Sussex, you can self-refer through Pathfinder West Sussex. Call the Help Point, Monday to Friday, 10am until 4pm, on 0300 303 5652. Or email helppoint
@westsussexmind.org
The teams are working to make it even easier to access support, including introducing more direct referral options in the future. Updates will be shared here as they become available.
Do I need a diagnosis to be referred?
No, you don’t need a formal diagnosis to be referred to a Neighbourhood Mental Health Team. If you’re struggling with your mental health and it’s affecting your day-to-day life, support may be available. Speak to your GP or another health professional for advice.
What kind of support do the Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams offer?
Support is tailored to your individual needs and may include:
- Talking therapies or psychological support
- Help managing serious mental illness
- Support with physical health and wellbeing
- Employment support
- Social prescribing (help connecting with community groups or activities)
- Specialist support for older adults
Who will be involved in my care?
Depending on your needs, your care may involve a mix of mental health professionals, GPs, social prescribers, community connectors, support workers, and more. Everyone involved works as part of one team to support you.
Will my current support or care change?
No. If you're already receiving support from one of the services now part of an Neighbourhood Mental Health Team, there will be no changes to your care. The way services work together behind the scenes is improving to make your experience smoother.
Can I choose what support I receive?
Absolutely. The Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams will work with you to understand your situation and agree on the next steps together. Your voice, goals and preferences are central to your care and support plan.
If I’m unhappy with my care and support, what should I do?
If you’re not happy with the care or support you’ve received from a Neighbourhood Mental Health Team, we want to hear from you. Your feedback helps us improve.
You can:
- Speak to a member of your care team directly – they may be able to resolve your concern quickly.
- Contact the Sussex Partnership Complaints and PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) team for confidential advice, support, or to make a formal complaint. Visit Sussex Partnership – Compliments, Concerns and Complaints to find out more.
- Contact the VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) organisation/s providing services as part of the core Neighbourhood Mental Health Team - Southdown, BHT Sussex, West Sussex Mind.
We are committed to listening to you and making things better.
How do Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams support carers - family, friends and partners?
Carer needs are assessed and documented using a Carers Information Recording form. Carers may be:
- Referred for a carers assessment (including young carers, young adult carers, and parent carers), or
- Given information on how to access one independently via local authorities or support services.
See listed resources below for further support:
East Sussex
West Sussex
Brighton & Hove
How do Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams ensure support is accessible if I have accessibility needs?
Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams are committed to providing care that is inclusive and accessible to everyone. If you have any accessibility needs - such as requiring information in alternative formats, support with communication, physical access adjustments, or cultural or sensory considerations - we will work with you to make sure your needs are understood and met.
This includes:
- Offering appointments in accessible locations or in your home, if appropriate
- Using interpreters (including BSL) or communication aids if needed
- Providing written materials in alternative formats (e.g. large print or easy-read)
- Working closely with you, your carers, and support networks to make reasonable adjustments
- Involving specialist services where necessary to ensure inclusive support
We encourage you to tell us about any adjustments you need, so we can provide the best possible support from the start.
- Neighbourhood Mental Health Team information leaflet - Brighton & Hove.
- Neighbourhood Mental Health Team information leaflet - East Sussex.
- Neighbourhood Mental Health Team information leaflet - West Sussex.
- Sussex Health and Care website: Information on the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme for Adults and Older adults - includes information on Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams for mental health professionals and GPs.
Provided in partnership
Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams are provided by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Pathfinder West Sussex (provided by BHT Sussex and West Sussex Mind), Southdown and Brighton & Hove City Council, in partnership with local GPs.
