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...providing accessible mental health services across the county
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Frequently Asked Questions
Our website aims to answer your questions - select an FAQ category
| General FAQs | Services FAQs | Suffolk Mind FAQs | Crisis Support FAQs |
General FAQs
Which areas do you cover?
We cover the entire county of Suffolk and offer certain services in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.
Where are you based?
Our registered head office is Suffolk Mind, Hyntle Barn, Hill Farm, Silver Hill, Hintlesham, Ipswich, IP8 3NJ. We do not offer services from here but do offer services from buildings across the county. We aim to provide services in locations that offer equality of access for all.
When are you open?
Most of our premises are open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm, but some open into the evenings to provide servies for people after office.
What can you do for me?
We can offer you information about mental health and wellbeing. We can offer you an assessment session and, if we have services we think would be appropriate for you, we can offer you a variety of services. We will tell you clearly whether we are the most appropriate place for you to seek help or whether we think you should contact your GP or your allocated health care professional. You can read more about what we offer on our Services page.
When won't you be able to help me?
We cannot help you:
- Out of hours
- If you are in acute distress, suffering from acute delusions or hallucinations
- If you are under the influence of illegal drugs or large quantities of alcohol
- If you are violent or aggressive
We are here to provide mental health services and, unless this is the primary issue, other agencies will be more able to help you than we are.
Can I talk to someone today?
We do not have sufficient people to be able to run a 'drop-in' service. It is sometimes possible for one of our experienced workers to talk to callers who are distressed, but we are unable to guarantee this. If you are in serious distress please talk to your GP or the Samaritans. We have phone numbers and contact details on our Crisis Support page.
I have a problem with drink/drugs that is affecting my mental health. Can you help?
We can't help you if you are under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs when you come to us. We can signpost you to other services that deal with addiction and mental health issues.
Does your information come in other formats?
All leaflets produced by Mind National are available in other languages, large print and Braille. There is a large library of information available on their website or tell us what you want and we will try and get it for you.
I am in a wheelchair can I get into the building?
Yes we have disabled access to all public areas except for our Stowmarket Resource Centre, but we are able to provide a service for you in Stowmarket within one of our partner's buildings.
Donating - I'd like to give you a donation. How can I do that?
Thank you. The best way is to send a cheque to our Head office at Suffolk Mind, Hyntle Barn, Hill Farm, Silver Hill, Hintlesham, Ipswich, IP8 3NJ.
I want to leave you some money in my will. What do I need to know?
Thank you for thinking of us, your gift will be a lasting help to people who will benefit from our services. To leave us a legacy in your will you need to give your solicitor our details, including our charity number because that makes things easier for the executors. Suffolk Mind, Hyntle Barn, Hill Farm, Silver Hill, Hintlesham, Ipswich, IP8 3NJ. Registered Charity Number 1003061.
Please be aware that if you specify 'Mind National' instead of 'Suffolk Mind' your legacy will be sent to the Mind National in Stratford and will be used to support national campaigns and activities and will not be given to us to spend in Suffolk.
A charitable bequest can also be helpful in maximising the money left for your family, as it could bring your balance down below the inheritance tax threshold, but you need to speak to your financial advisor about this. All donations and legacies given to charities come under strict financial controls of the Charity Commission.
Jobs and Volunteering
How old do I need to be before I can volunteer for you?
We take volunteers once they are 18 years old.
I would like mental health work experience, are there any opportunities with Suffolk Mind? Suffolk Mind takes both students on placement and volunteers in appropriate areas of our work to offer people mental health work experience.
I am a student - what can you do for me?
Suffolk Mind take students on placement as part of their course and also take students who want volunteer experience in appropriate areas of our work to offer people mental health work experience.
I've got a question but I can't find the answer here, how do I contact you?
You can call us during office hours, you can email us or you can write us a letter. Click here for contact details.
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Services FAQs
Referral routes
How do I get to use your services? Does my GP have to refer me?
No - everyone can ask for a free consultation with one of our trained staff. We do have some services which are accessed through the IAPT referral route and some which people can access by asking us directly.
How do I know which service I need?
When people first make contact with Suffolk Mind we have what we call a 'Direct Access Apointment'. This is a short, very informal meeting, usually lasting up to an hour, between you and one of our workers where we can talk about what difficulties you are having and what we may be able to offer you. We always try our best to help you. If we can't offer you one of our services we will always try to suggest who may be able to help you instead.
Can I refer my friend or relative? I think they really need your help.
No. For reasons of confidentiality, health professionals are the only people other than the client themselves who can make referrals. We cannot discuss any aspects of a relative's referral with you without their express permission. If you are worried about them, try and get them to see their GP or health professional.
Is there a cost for the services you offer? Do I have to pay?
All are services are free to you except our Healthy Mind Counselling service, which is chargeable on a sliding scale of £30 to £8 per session. If you are referred to counselling by your GP, the counselling is funded by the NHS. It is likely you will face a longer wait to use the GP referral counselling service.
What age range so you help?
All of our services are available to those over 16
Who will you tell that I've used your services? What will you tell them?
We have a very strict confidentiality policy. However, if staff have serious concerns that you may harm yourself or others, or you lead us to believe that you have committed a hitherto unreported very serious criminal offence, then we reserve the right to break confidentiality. In the normal course of events, we will not disclose any of your details, or any of the details regarding the services you have undertaken to a third party, without your prior express permission. Any possible exceptions to this will always be made clear to you at the beginning of any course or counselling sessions that may you access.
How do I know I can trust you?
We are professional people working within strong ethical codes and guidelines. We work within the guidelines, ethics, codes of conducts and rules of the BACP, Mind National, the Institute of Fundraising, the Charities Commission, the Data Protection regulations, the NHS Caldicott Principals, Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), as well as usual legal frameworks such as Company Law, Health & Safety legislation etc.
I have missed my appointment. What should I do?
If this is the first time you have missed an appointment contact us to tell us and we will arrange another one. If you have missed more than one, you may have to go back on to a waiting list to be seen again.
Programmes
I am nervous about joining a group. How do I know it will be okay?
It's very natural to feel nervous when you are doing something that you haven't done before - everybody feels like that. We really do understand that and so we always do our best to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible. We can assure you that we will not make you do anything that you don't want to do, and that you can do things at the pace that is comfortable for you. We also have a strict confidentiality policy so that you can feel safe that no-one outside of our organisation knows that you are using our services.
What programmes do you offer?
You can read about our Programmes on the Services page.
How many people will there be in the group?
8 to 10
Will I have to pay?
No. All our programmes are free for people to join.
How long is each session?
1.5 hours each. We do ask all participants to be ready to start the group on time.
How long are the courses?
Some are 7 weeks, some 8, some are 12, depending on the programme. You can read about our Programmes on the Services page. It is important to attend all sessions so please tell us during the assessment whether there are any sessions you will not be available for.
What time of day will it be?
We run courses in mornings, afternoons and evenings in different towns across the region, so there should be one to meet your needs. As evening courses are the most popular you may have to wait a little longer to get on an evening course in the town of your first choice.
Do I need to attend all the sessions?
Yes. It is very important to attend all the sessions as the courses build from week to week.
Can I go on a course in a different town from where I live?
Yes. We run courses in various towns across the county. The more flexible you are, the sooner you are likely to get on a course.
Where are the courses held?
The courses are held in all the main towns in Suffolk.
What is this 'assessment'? That sounds worrying, what if I fail?
The 'assessment' is really only a short informal meeting between you and the two course facilitators, so that you can find out about the course and us, and we can find out a little bit more about you. This helps us when we start to do the course. Don't worry about 'failing', nobody 'fails' when we meet them. If we feel that another of our services may be more helpful to you than the course that we are doing the assessment for then we will talk about it with you.
Self Help Groups
What is a self-help group? How does that work?
These self help groups put you in contact with others experiencing the same kind of problems. By meeting together, people gain mutual support for each other. These groups are sometimes lead by a trained facilitator to help you help yourself.
Supported Housing
I have questions about your supported housing service, where can I find the answers?
We have put together a table of questions and the answers from the four different services we offer. There are too many to answer here so we have put them all in the Supported Housing section.
Counselling
Is it true you offer free counselling?
If your GP refers you to the IAPT counselling service you will not have to pay for that. The waiting list for that service is longer than for the paid for service as more people opt to use that one.
Do you do bereavement counselling?
Yes. Although we do not offer specific bereavement counselling, issues around bereavement can be covered by our counsellors. There is a charity which does offer specific bereavement help called CRUSE BEREAVEMENT CARE, which 'exists to promote the well-being of bereaved people and to enable anyone bereaved by death to understand their grief and cope with their loss'. CRUSE can be contacted on their helpline number 0844 477 9400 which is open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5pm, or their email is helpline@cruse.org.uk and their website is www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk
I am training to be a counsellor, can I volunteer for you?
Yes we take on volunteers who have completed at least two years of training to certificate level.
Do you do counselling for people who were abused as a child?
We do not offer specific childhood abuse counselling, but our Suffolk Mind counselling service can offer 12 sessions to help towards recovery.
Do you offer couples counselling?
No. We only offer counselling for individuals. A charity called Relate does offer counselling to couples and they can be contacted on 08451 30 40 16 or their website is www.relate.org.uk
I'm confused? What is the difference between the Healthy Mind Counselling service and the GP Referral IAPT Counselling Service?
If your GP refers you to the GP Referral IAPT Counselling service, it means the NHS pays and you don't. Your GP can offer you 6 therapy sessions (following an initial assessment session).
If you refer yourself to the Suffolk Mind Counselling service it means you pay between £30 down to £8 per session, according to what you can afford. This service offers up to 12 sessions which can be extended if the counsellor thinks it is necessary.
Carers
I am a carer and need support. Is there anything out there for me?
Suffolk Mind offers respite care to carers that can be accessed via Suffolk Carers on 01473 835420. Suffolk Carers are there to support carers and can signpost to many other services across Suffolk.
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Suffolk Mind FAQs
Are you part of the NHS?
No. We are an independent charity. We work alongside NHS providers and have a good working relationship with them, but we are independent. We often try to fill the gaps in service that the NHS don't provide.
From where do you get your money?
Suffolk Mind is responsible for raising the money we require to keep providing the services we do. We get that money from a variety of places. We get some grants from stautory organisations such as the County Council, Primary Care Trust and Mental Health Partnership Trust. We apply for grants from Charitable Trust and Foundations. We receive donations from individuals. People remember us in their wills.
What can I do to help Suffolk Mind?
There are a number of ways you can help Suffolk Mind. You can donate your time and volunteer or you can support us by donating money.
Crisis Support FAQs
If I have a concern about someone, can you help?
We offer advice and information to service users, carers and friends, and we signpost to other voluntary organisations and statutory services if we cannot help. Unless we have written permission from the person concerned to allow us to do so, we are unable to discuss their illness or prognosis with you - no matter how close you are to them. But we can discuss how you are feeling and coping and can tell you what services we provide that might help you deal with the situation you are in.
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Did you find an answer to your question?
If you want to know something and can't find the answers here, please either call us during office hours or send us an email. Click here for contact details.
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