Mental Health – Help & Support
Mental health problems can affect any of us at any time in our lives. For most people who experience mental health issues, your first place to get help should be your doctor, who can often refer you to other professionals. Working out what to say to your doctor about your mental health can be hard. Doc Ready is a free service which could help you prepare for your first visit.
Other places you can get support available throughout Kent, depending on they type of help you are looking for…
Support for all
- Every Mind Matters to get useful tips and guides to help look after you and your family.
- Release the pressure talk to a highly trained and experienced team available 24/7 to provide expert support.
- Live Well Kent is a community mental health support service to help you with everyday living, to keep active and healthy, and meet people.
- Our online directory is a community led directory with lots of support and help for all ages.
Home, finances and work
- Support if debt is affecting your mental health and find out about benefits and financial support.
- Cost of living support.
- Domestic abuse and refuges.
- Support returning to work.
- Food or energy in a crisis – may be able to help you with food or energy vouchers if you are having serious difficulties managing your income due to a crisis or if you are facing exceptional pressures because of an emergency.
Parents, children and young people
- Visit NHS Mental Wellbeing and Information Hub.
- Kent Baby website or the Bump, Birth and Beyond website – for information, assessment and treatment for mental health during pregnancy and after birth.
- Support for special educational needs and disabled (SEND) children and young people at school with social, emotional and mental health needs.
- Emotional wellbeing participation – for young people and their families who have experience of using mental health and emotional wellbeing services.
Specialist support
- Where to get LGBTQ support.
- NHS mental health support for veterans.
- Advocacy – someone to speak up on your behalf if you have mental health needs in Kent.
- Amparo – is a free and confidential service that provides emotional and practical support for anyone affected by suicide in Kent and Medway.
- Mind – a mental health charity supporting those affected by mental health.
Drug & Alcohol – Help & Support
If you, or someone you know, has a drug or alcohol problem, Kent County Council can help point you towards friendly, confidential advice and support. Completely free. You may have decided to quit, or just need to talk to someone. You can find all the services and information you need through this website, wherever you are in Kent.
Support from the big charities
There’s a lot of help out there. We hope these links will help you find the support that you need to deal with a drug or alcohol problem. The main service you go to in Kent will provide a lot of support, but you may want to see what else is available from national charities.
- Frank is full of helpful information about drugs.
- Alcoholics Anonymous offers face-to-face support for anyone with a drink problem.
- UKNA also offers face-to-face support, to deal with drug problems.
- UK SMART Recovery helps people recover from addiction, through meetings and online training.
- Mind provides support for anyone with mental-health problems.
- Samaritans are at the end of the phone for people who might be thinking about suicide.
Accessible Transport – Help & Support
A lack of accessible and affordable transport can result in social isolation, chronic loneliness, and even a deterioration of mental and physical health. Compaid door-to-door, wheelchair accessible transport provides over 43,000 journeys a year, enabling people of all abilities to travel confidently and safely.
Compaid ‘Out and About’ transport is a door-to-door, dial-a-ride service available in Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, and Maidstone districts.
Thanks to funding from the Motability Foundation, the fares for journeys within Sevenoaks and Maidstone are £3 for the first mile, and £1 for every mile after. For journeys within Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge, fares are £5 for the first mile, and £2 for every mile after.
The vehicles can take up to four passengers, including one wheelchair or mobility scooter user, to any destination within each district. This affordable and flexible transport option can be booked up to 7 days in advance, and even earlier if the journey is for a hospital visit.
For more information or to book your journey, call us on 01892 832447 from Monday to Friday, 9am – 4pm.