Information for service users
Psychosis is a mental health difficulty which can develop for a number of reasons, including genetics, traumatic and/or stressful life events and experiences, and the environment you live in.
What are the signs/symptoms?
Psychosis can cause symptoms such as paranoia (e.g. thinking that things on the TV, radio or newspapers are about you), thinking that people can control or read your thoughts, having experiences of hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling or tasting things that other people don’t, having confusing thoughts or getting your words muddled.
What do EIPS do and how can they help me?
We are a team who work with you to support you with your mental health and help you to manage and recover from the unusual and distressing experiences you might be experiencing.
Research shows us that what you do and the support you receive in the first months and years after a first episode of psychosis is really important in giving you the best chance of recovery, we will provide you with the treatment and support you need to help you get back to the life you want to lead as quickly as possible.
We offer support for up to three years even if you feel better after a few weeks. We do this to help prevent these distressing experiences from coming back by supporting you to understand why they might have happened in the first place, how to recognise early signs they might be returning and how to minimise the impact if they do return.
How can I tell someone how I'm feeling?
If you are concerned that you might be experiencing psychosis or any other mental health difficulty, go to see your GP so that they can put you in touch with the right support and service that you might need.
Alternatively, you are able to self-refer to our service and we can then talk to you about whether our service would be helpful for you.
What is a care plan?
A care plan is created with you, your care team and your support network (e.g. family or friends). You will be supported to set your own goals and an agreement will be made about how best to meet them. This will include therapeutic treatment which can be provided by the team as well as support you might require from family and friends and things you can do yourself to aid your recovery.
You will be given a copy of your care plan and it will be reviewed at least every six months, and you can ask for it to be reviewed if you think that something needs to be changed.
Once referred, you will be allocated a lead practitioner who will be your main point of contact within EIPS. They will meet with you regularly and will discuss and review your care plan with you.
I am in crisis - what should I do?
If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, please follow the information on our crisis page.
Alternatively, go to your local A&E or if you are unable to get there safely, call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
You can also contact Sussex Mental Healthline on 0800 0309 500 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). If you are based in Brighton & Hove you can also call our Mental Health Rapid Response Service (MHRRS) on 0300 304 0078.
When you have been allocated a lead practitioner, you will have the opportunity to develop your own crisis and safety plan with them.
Our six teams across Sussex are made up of professionals from a variety of backgrounds, including doctors who specialise in psychiatry, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists, pharmacists, peer workers and community support workers.
Our staff can support you with different aspects of your health, including medical, psychological and physical. We can also support you with work, education, relationships and housing, depending on your needs and priorities.
For ways to contact us, please visit our contact details page.
Self-help ideas
There are some great self-help ideas, recovery stories and resources on the Likemind website.
Apps and websites
How do I raise a concern, complaint or compliment about the service?
Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is an information and advice service for patients, families, carers and the public. They will try to support you in whatever way they can to ensure that your experience at Sussex Partnership is a positive one.
If you don’t know what’s happening regarding the care of your loved one, or you need information and advice but don’t know who to ask, please contact PALS.
Telephone: 0300 304 2198
Email: pals
What happens if I am not taken on by the service?
If after a referral is received / an assessment is completed we determine that our service is not the most appropriate for you, we will put you in touch with other support. This could be in the community, with other local organisations/charities, or it could be referring you back to have regular appointments with your GP. We will discuss these options with you.
Will I have to take medication?
As part of the support we provide we would recommend a number of different therapy options which may benefit you, which can include medication. If we think that medication would be a useful treatment option for you we will discuss this with you at length to make sure that you are comfortable with this and that any questions you have are answered.
If I am referred to the service do I have to come for an assessment?
If you are referred to our service then someone will have concerns about your mental health and wellbeing so we would recommend you to let us help. Our assessment process is thorough so that we can make sure if people need our help or not.
We will discuss options with you at every stage of your treatment with us and make sure that you understand why we are recommending particular treatments and interventions to help you to get better.
If after an assessment we don’t think that our service is right kind of support that you need we will help put you in touch with the appropriate support for you.