Helpline & Webchat

*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 at any time. Talk to your Recovery Worker about the best number to call us on. 

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

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.

Using Time Online webchat

Time Online is our webchat service - it 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, you just need to click this green tab, which you'll see floating on the left of any page on our website!

"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. 

If you're curious, why not read more about what the typical 'day in the life' of a helpline staff member is like?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the helpline confidential?

We won't discuss your call with anyone else, unless we believe that there is a risk to yourself or others - this is called Safeguarding. To read more about our Safeguarding Policy and what it means for you, visit our Key Policies page.  There are some services where we will share information with your Care Coordinator, however we will ask for your consent to do this before you start using the Helpline.

Are the calls recorded?

We do record calls for training and monitoring purposes (to make sure our helpline gives the best service possible and train new staff); however, you have the option to opt out of recording at the beginning of each call. 

What happens if there's nobody free to answer my call/chat?

If our team are all busy taking calls or other chats, you will be prompted to leave a voicemail or email a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. If you miss our call back, we can't leave a voicemail for confidentiality reasons, but our team will try and get in touch with you again soon.