Mental health support

There are various support services available for your mental health including:

Bereavement

Childhood Bereavement Network (CBN)

CBN works to support bereaved children and young people. The service:

  • can share sources of bereavement support
  • find approaches to improve bereavement care for children
  • helps people manage the impact of death on lives
  • give information on how to cope with the emotions associated with death
  • find local and national information, guidance and support. 

Find out more

Holding On Letting Go

Holding On Letting Go is a charity that helps young people aged 6 to 16 to cope with the death of someone close to them.

Support is offered through 'bereavement support weekends' to:

  • children
  • young people
  • parents
  • carers. 

Bereavement support weekends are free to attend and staffed by trained volunteers. 

Children are encouraged to:

  • share their feelings
  • ask questions 
  • learn strategies to help deal with difficult emotions.

Find out more

Eating disorder support

Beat

Beat is the UK’s leading charity that helps to support people who are affected by eating disorders.

Their website has a wide range of information on different eating disorders including:

  • anorexia
  • bulimia
  • binge eating disorder
  • other eating and feeding problems.

They have lots of information on:

  • how to cope and recovery
  • how to support someone who is going experiencing an eating disorder.

They have helplines as well as one-to-one web chats if you feel more comfortable with that.

Find out more

  • Address: Beat, Unit 1 Chalk Hill House, 19 Rosary Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1SZ
  • Website: Beat
  • Email: help@beateatingdisorders.org.uk
  • Social media: Beat Facebook, Beat Instagram, Beat Twitter
  • Phone (helplines are open all year):
    • helpline: 0808 801 067
    • youthline: 0808 801 0711
    • studentline: 0808 801 0811.
  • Opening hours:
    • weekdays: 12pm to 8pm
    • weekends and bank holidays: 4pm to 8pm.

Mental health services

Alumina

Alumina is an online 6-week course for young people who are struggling with self-harm.

The session is free and a link will be emailed to you each week. 

Sessions usually take place in the evening and the link will take you to a chat room. You will be able to see and hear the session leaders but they'll not be able to see or hear you.

There will be 2 to 6 people in a session at a time with 2 session leaders. One will be a trained counsellor.

You'll receive:

  • one-to-one email support
  • online peer support.

Find out more

Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

CAMHS resources provide young people with the information needed to support their mental health and wellbeing including:

  • downloadable resources
  • links to websites, apps, videos and books.

Find out more

Childline

Childline provides online and over the phone advice and information for children and young people up to the age of 18.

The helpline team can provide:

  • advice
  • support
  • counselling
  • refer young people to other services if needed.

They also have many other resources and games to allow young people to cope and manage with their feelings.

Find out more

Emerge

Youth workers are here to help young people aged 10 to 25 years when they come into hospital because of:

  • self-harm
  • a suicide attempt
  • an emotional crisis. 

They do not take the place of the NHS, but while young people are in hospital and after they leave, they can offer:

  • their time
  • emotional support.

Find out more

  • Website: Emerge
  • Email: info@emergeadvocacy.com
  • Address: Medway Maritime Hospital, Windmill Road, Gillingham, Kent ME7 5NY
  • Phone: 07983 136 215
  • Opening hours: Tuesday to Thursday, 7pm to 11pm.

Good Thinking

Good Thinking provides online resources to help children and young people with their mental health. The advice they provide includes:

  • free apps
  • podcasts, blogs, videos and webinars
  • how to guides
  • workbooks. 

Find out more

Kent and Medway Safe Havens

Kent and Medway Safe Havens offers out-of-hours mental health support for anyone aged 16 and over. The service offers support if you are feeling:

  • distressed
  • frightened
  • overwhelmed.

Find out more

  • Email: medway.mhm@nhs.net
  • Phone: 07850 901 151 or 07808 795 036
  • Opening hours: 6pm to 11pm, including weekends and bank holidays. 

Kooth

Kooth is an online mental health community offering:

  • free and confidential advice
  • one hour chat sessions with counsellors through messages or live chat
  • access to articles and a discussion board
  • a safe space to journal and track feelings.

The Kooth website has age restrictions to ensure that children and young people only see content that is age appropriate for them.

Access to Kooth is:

  • available to everyone
  • with no referral needed. 

The service is anonymous unless you choose to provide your personal information.

Find out more

  • Website: Kooth
  • Social media: Kooth Instagram
  • Opening hours:
    • weekdays: 12pm to 10pm
    • weekends: 6pm to 10pm.

Medway Young Persons' Wellbeing Service 

The Medway Young Persons' Wellbeing Service provides:

  • mental health advice and support for young people and families
  • support for young people up to the age of 25 with young people who have special educational needs. 

The support they provide is for people experiencing:

  • stress
  • low mood
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • self-harm.

They also offer support to people finding it difficult to manage difficult behaviours, and support for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Find out more

Oasis domestic abuse service

Oasis supports children and young people affected by domestic abuse, and their parents, to reduce vulnerability and increase their knowledge, resilience, and safety.

They run a number of projects and services to help improve the lives of young people in our communities.

Oasis provides:

  • one-to-one services for 7 to 25 year olds in a safe, non-judgemental environment
  • dedicated programmes for adolescents who have experienced domestic abuse.

Find out more

Release the Pressure

Support is available for every mental health concern for free confidential support at any time. 

To speak to a professional councillor or therapist:

  • Text: KENT or MEDWAY to 85258 
  • Phone: 08001 070 160.

Shout

Shout is a free text service that provides support for anyone in crisis. The services aims to:

  • help you think more clearly
  • help you take the next steps to feeling better. 

Find out more

The CALM Zone

CALM runs a free and confidential helpline and web chat 7 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone who needs to talk through any problems.

They aim of the service is to:

  • reduce the rates of suicide by providing a listening ear
  • help people going through crisis
  • support people impacted by suicide.

Resources and advice regarding specific issues and concerns you may have, as well as other organisations who may be able to provide you with additional help.

Find out more

Young Minds

Young Minds is an organisation that aims:

  • give all young people get the best possible support for their mental health
  • help young people to have the resilience to overcome life’s challenges.

They can provide advice on:

  • specific mental health issues
  • any difficulties young people may be facing such as bullying or abuse.

The Young Minds crisis messenger provides 24/7 crisis support across the UK. All texts are free and are answered by trained volunteers.

Find out more

Mental health support apps

Calm Harm

Calm Harm is an app that adolescents can use to help regulate their emotions.

It provides:

  • coping skills to practice until their emotions are under control
  • help to control their urge to self-harm is less intense.

Download the Calm Harm app on:

NotOK

NotOK app has a big red button you can press to notify selected contacts if you’re in a crisis and need help.

Setting up only takes 5 minutes and you're able to let people know quickly if you are in crisis.

Better U

Better U is a free app offering mental health support.

It helps users to:

  • manage their wellbeing
  • focus on a positive outlook
  • reflect upon their resilience
  • find methods of coping and support that works best for them.

Download the Better U app on:

Harmless

Harmless is an app that adolescents can use to help regulate their emotions.

It provides:

  • coping skills to practice until their emotions are under control
  • help to make their urge to self-harm is less intense.

Harmless can be downloaded from the Apple App Store (some functions require a subscription).