While a healthcare professional can refer you to OMH, it is easy and straightforward to do so yourself.
What is a Self-Referral?
Language can unintentionally isolate people and cause distress, so challenging the current language and culture is important. At OMH, we are moving away from traditional ways of talking about mental health to an open, non-stigmatising, and natural dialogue. For example, we usually talk about introducing people to other parts of our service via a warm transfer rather than referring them.
However, self-referring for support from OMH means that you don’t need a doctor, healthcare professional, or social worker to recommend you for services. You can simply ask for support on your own by contacting us directly. By doing so, you take an active role in seeking the support you need, making it a quicker and more straightforward way to access help.
How to Contact OMH and Make a Self-Referral
We offer support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure that people struggling with their mental health in Somerset can access the right support at the right time.
To make a self-referral, please call our team at Mindline Somerset any time of the day or night, seven days a week, locally on 01823 276892 or freephone 0800 138 1692.
Alternatively, Mindline Live Web Chat is available via our website every day from 8 pm to 11 pm, or you can send us a message.
How to Self-Refer for Crisis Support
Crisis Safe Space is an out-of-hours service for people really struggling with their mental health. Instead of going to A&E, you can arrange a one-to-one session with a team member who will listen and help. You can refer yourself or someone you’re concerned about.
The safe spaces are supportive environments where people experiencing a mental health crisis can seek assistance in a calm, secure, and understanding atmosphere.
Appointments are available in person at locations in Bridgwater, Glastonbury, Taunton, Yeovil, and Frome or remotely by phone or Zoom wherever you are in Somerset. Whether in-person or remote, they offer a non-judgemental setting where people feel heard and respected. At a Crisis Safe Space appointment, you’ll receive emotional support and, if needed, guidance on accessing additional help or services.
To arrange an appointment, call Mindline Somerset on the numbers given above or book a session on our website.
Crisis Safe Space—a Caller’s Self-Referral Journey
A client we will call Sally reached out to Crisis Safe Space at particularly dark and distressing times in her life. “Crisis Safe Space has supported me on many occasions over the past couple of years when I have been struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide. They have welcomed me in my moments of desperation, providing me with reassurance and compassion and a safe place to just ‘be’.”
Sally says the Crisis Safe Space team listened without judgment or expectation: “There has never been any pressure to talk or explain myself or to do anything, and I have benefitted so much from just having someone sitting alongside me in my periods of mental health crisis.”
Reflecting on the value of having someone who truly listens to us, Sally says, “Sometimes, I have needed to just express my feelings or to share my intrusive thoughts with someone who could hold them without judgment. Sometimes, I have needed someone to help me plan how to get through the next couple of hours or days.”
Sally explains that the tranquil environments offered by Crisis Safe Space are of great advantage. “Crisis Safe Space has always felt safe and calming, in contrast to the environment of alternative places such as A&E, where there are crowds of people, lots of noise and bright lights. This has really helped me to cope better with my distress and to ground myself more quickly instead of my senses being heightened, which would have caused me to become even more dysregulated.”
Sally says of her experience with Crisis Safe Space, “The people who have listened to me at Crisis Safe Space have been so caring and validating. They have given me time and space to explore options and supported me to reach a place of safety. It has been so valuable and so appreciated.”
To discover more about Crisis Safe Space and how easy it is to self-refer, watch a video animation about using the service.