Mental health difficulties can make day to day living hard and affect your relationships and your ability to hold down a job. There are a range of Community Mental Health Services available which all aim to help you recover and achieve the things that are important to you.

We work together with the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) to provide a range of different services which provide different types of help.

Mental health difficulties can affect anyone at any time in their lives. They are very common and it's important not to be embarrassed about seeking help. Some people have short term issues when they are dealing with difficult events like divorce or losing a job. Other people develop longer term mental health difficulties, or mental illness.

If you are dealing with a mental illness, the Community Mental Health Services aim to help by:

• helping you identify and diagnose the problem
• helping you to feel safe
• offering you a range of treatment options
• helping with your recovery
• getting you involved in social activities
• helping you to feel more independent

Community Mental Health Services are made up of social workers, community mental health nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and support staff.

You can find information, support and services on the NELFT website.

Barking and Dagenham access and assessment team (BDAAT)

BDAAT is the assessment service for adults aged 18 to 65 that need to access community mental health services in Barking and Dagenham.

They provide an initial mental health assessment. Once assessed they will refer or signpost you to other mental health services or organisations or offer brief intervention for a time limited period.

If needed, they offer a:

• full assessment of mental health and social care needs
• access to a psychiatrist talking therapies and other psychological
• help advice and information
• crisis intervention
• psychiatric medication review
• and if appropriate self-guided support with social problems recovery and wellbeing approaches

We also provide:

• a single telephone number for anyone enquiring about mental health services in Barking and Dagenham
• urgent mental health assessment where needed and management of referrals to other specialist mental health services.

The team is made up of psychiatrists, community mental health nurses, mental health social workers, support time and recovery workers, occupational therapists.

Contact Barking Community Hospital

Barking Community Hospital, Upney Lane, Barking, IG11 9LX

0300 555 1038

0300 555 1200 

NHS - Barking Access and Assessment Team

mhi.cas@nhs.net

Community Mental Health Team for Older People (65+ yrs) 

0300 555 1016

0300 555 1200 

Contact Adult Intake and Access Team

If you need advice and information about adult social care, you can call our Adult Intake and Access Team on 020 8227 2915.