Our helplines provide emotional support, advice and guidance to residents registered with a GP in the following geographical areas:

General public:

• *Cornwall - Service available to secondary care clients only.  Available 5pm - 9am on weekdays; 24 hours over weekends and bank holidays.
• Devon - Tel. 0800 470 0317.  Available 24/7.
• Kent and Medway - Tel. 0800 107 0160.  Available 24/7.
• Lincolnshire - Tel. 0800 001 4331.  Available 24/7.
• **Plymouth - Tel. 0300 323 0101.  Available 5pm-9am on weekdays; 24 hours over weekends and bank holidays.
• Sunderland & South Tyneside - Tel. 0800 138 6543. Available 24/7.
• Stockport - Tel. 0800 138 7276.  Available 24/7.

*Our Cornwall Helpline is available for secondary care clients who are accessing mental health services from services such as: Community Mental Health Teams including Complex Needs Team, Learning Disability Team, Assertive Outreach Team, Community Forensic Team, Older People's Mental Health Teams, Asylum Seeker and Refugee Mental Health team and the Community Recovery Team. 

**Our Plymouth Helpline is available if you are currently receiving support from the following local teams: Community Mental Health Teams including Complex Needs Team, Learning Disability Team, Assertive Outreach Team, Community Forensic Team, Older People's Mental Health Teams, Asylum Seeker and Refugee Mental Health team and the Community Recovery Team.

If you use any of MHM's services nationwide, you can also call our helpline and use the webchat service. Talk to your Recovery Worker about the best number to call us on. 

You will hear a short welcome and a Support Worker will attempt to answer your call within a minute.  Where this is not possible, or where you are withholding your number, the system will hold your place in the queue so a Support Worker can call you back as soon as possible.  Please use this rather than redialling – calls will always be handled in order of arrival. 

If you're not covered by any of these helpline areas, you can try visiting our Helpful Resources section for self-help advice.

Veterans - Op COURAGE Referrals

Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service provides specialist care and support for:

• Those due to leave the Armed Forces
• Reservists
• Those who’ve already left.

Referrals

Veterans, their families, or other health professionals can refer, or self-refer to services on:

• East of England - Tel. 0300 034 9991. Available 24/7.
• Midlands - Tel. 0300 323 0137. Available 24/7.
• South West - Tel. 0300 034 9986. Available 24/7.

Or email: [email protected] 

Emotional Support

• East of England - Tel. 0300 323 0139. Available 24/7.
• Midlands - Tel. 0300 323 0139. Available 24/7.
• South West - Tel. 0300 323 0139. Available 24/7.

Calling the helpline

Our helpline staff are highly skilled, trained and compassionate - they are here to help you. Things they can help you with may include:

• Feeling low, anxious or stressed and feel that talking to another person might help you
• In extreme emotional distress and feel that there is nowhere else to turn
• You're caring for another person and finding it difficult to cope
• You need advice about how to get more support with an issue that's affecting your mental wellbeing
• You feel socially isolated and just need a chat 

Talking to someone on our Helpline can give you a feeling of relief, peace of mind and help improve your wellbeing. You won't be judged, and our service is confidential unless we believe that there is a risk to you or others.

The helpline covers different areas - see the top of this page for the numbers to call.  We can also sign-post you to a local service.

If English is not your first language our Helpline team are able to dial in an interpreter from Language Line.  If you are hard of hearing you may wish to use our online webchat function instead of calling, or use the BT Relay UK service.

Using our webchat

Webchat works a bit like MSN or Facebook messenger and is a confidential and easy way to talk to our Helpline staff if you're not comfortable talking on the telephone. You will be talking to the same highly skilled staff and receive the same service and support as you would if you called us.

To access the webchat, click on the speech bubble, which you'll see floating at the bottom of any page on our website, and a Support Worker will be with you as soon as they can.

Click here to read our webchat terms & conditions https://www.mhm.org.uk/webchat-terms-and-conditions 

"The service you provide is so invaluable. I cannot fault your staff they are amazing, caring people. They listen well and help when they can."

Our Helpline staff

All of our helpline staff are trained in counselling skills and hold a Certificate in Counselling. They're highly knowledgeable about the areas we cover and can signpost you to local services or groups that could help you. They are not just a listening ear; they can provide emotional support and practical advice to help you resolve issues.