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These are sometimes called CPN's. The doctor may refer the carer, or send the person suffering with a mental illness to the community psychiatric nurse when one is needed. They can provide advice about mental health and illness, information about medication used to treat mental health problems and the possible side effects of the medication. They can provide support at times of crisis, or in an emergency. Longer-term support can be provided to those suffering from severe mental illness. CPN's can give information about what other services and help may be available.
Community Support Workers
These workers offer a community based service within people's homes. Their main aim is to assist people who are 16 and over and who are experiencing mental health problems to continue to live in the community. They offer practical, social and emotional support.
Counsellors
A Counsellor should be friendly and understanding and provide a listening ear in a safe environment. Counselling is sometimes called a 'talking cure'. They will try to help someone with any problems that they may have by listening, caring and helping them to think about things in a way they may not have before. Counsellors will guide their clients to look at personal problems, so that they can try to make sense of their unhappiness. They will offer very little, or no, advice. They are there to help people find their own answers and ways to sort out their problems. When someone understands their feelings and why they do things, they often learn new ways of dealing with situations and get more control over their own lives and how they deal with people. Counselling will usually take place in a private room with one person who has been trained to do this job. Counselling will usually be in sessions of up to one hour long. They may be once a week for a few weeks or months. How long the counselling lasts will depend on the person receiving the counselling, the counsellor and what the problem is.
Educational Psychologist
Educational Psychologists some times work with children and adults who have learning difficulties. They work with the person with the learning difficulty to find out how they learn, what they can and can't do so that they can help them and other people who are involved in their lives (for example, teacher, parent, carer, other professionals) to know how best to support them in everyday situations
General Practitioner (GP)
General Practitioners are also called doctors. These doctors work from health centres, clinics and surgeries but will visit people at home in an emergency or when a person finds it difficult to visit them. They give advice and medication to people who are unwell. They can usually help most people they see themselves, but will usually refer them to other professionals who can give specialist advice and treatment when it is needed.
Health Visitor
Health Visitors may see people of any age in their own home or at clinics to offer advice about their general health and sometimes to carry out health checks. They work alongside other professionals to make sure that the people they visit get the right support from the right person. Health visitors may work as part of a specialist team.
Home Care
Home care workers visit people in their own homes to help them with every day tasks, for example, dressing, getting children ready for school, shopping, cleaning, ironing. Nurses may work in hospitals, residential settings (places where people live who need specialist care), or in day care settings (where people go to meet with friends in similar situations or to give them or their family a break). A nurse may also visit people in their own homes. Some Nurses have specialised knowledge and skills to care for and give advice to carers or people with particular illnesses, disabilities or problems, for example, Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN), Macmillan Nurse, District Nurse, Community Nurse, Practice Nurse.
Occupational Therapist (OT)
Occupational Therapists provide things to do for people with disabilities, for example, woodwork, sewing, and arts and crafts. Occupational Therapists are able to offer help to people who might be having difficulty doing day-to-day things like washing, cooking, cleaning, dressing etc. Sometimes they visit people at home to see if they need any help or aids (equipment) to make it easier for them to live in their own home and to do things for themselves, for example, they may suggest a 'walk in' shower or a stair lift or grab rails.
Physiotherapist
A Physiotherapist spends time with people with physical disabilities talking about where they have pain or problems moving. This helps the Physiotherapist to work out what types of treatment they may need to reduce pain or to help them move about. The physiotherapist may show them, for example, how to use heat pads, ice packs, change their body posture or may suggest regular exercise (which they help the person to do) or they may also recommend other types of treatment.
Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists may work from a hospital or a community setting. Their job is to assess (try to find out) how a person with learning difficulties, mental health problems or behaviour problems thinks, feels and behaves so that they can be given the right sort of help. Psychiatrists also offer help and advice to other people who are involved in caring for a person with learning difficulties and mental health problems etc.
Psychotherapy
This is a talking treatment similar to Counselling. A Psychotherapist will help someone look more at how the past is affecting the way that they are today, for example, what has happened when they were younger and their relationship with their parents. Psychotherapy looks at the unconscious, or hidden mind that forms when people grow up and makes them act in certain ways. Psychotherapy can sometimes last a lot longer than Counselling; it can last for weeks, months or even years. How long it lasts will be up to the client and the Psychotherapist.
Sitting Service
Sitters give carers a break from looking after a disabled or ill member of the family by staying with them (usually in the disabled person's home) whilst the carer takes some time out.
Social Worker or Care Manager
A Social Worker is someone who could work for a variety of organisations, for example, the Social Services Department, or a charity. Social Workers often know what other professionals do, and how to get help from them. A Social Worker may have experience of working with different people, from different backgrounds and organisations, so they may have ideas that the people they work with may not have thought of. They may understand the problems and worries that people have, and may be able to help sort them out or put them in touch with someone who can. Some Social Workers have specialist roles. For example, some work with adults with learning difficulties, some work with older people, while some work with children and families. The main job of a Social Worker who works with children and families is to look after the welfare of the child, this means the health, or development of the child. They should work with the family and child to do this. If a child's welfare is thought to be at risk, a Social Worker has to investigate, so they look at the situation and see if they need to do anything to support the family and/or protect the child. Usually they will listen to each member of the family, to hear what they have to say and suggest ways of helping them, or finding someone that can.
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