Psychological Therapies Service (PTS)

What is the Psychological Therapies Service?

The Psychological Therapies Service (PTS) is a Trust-wide service for adults over the age of 18 who live in the community and experience a range of severe and enduring mental health difficulties which require specialised input, including depression, anxiety, phobias, panic, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

We provide psychological assessment and therapeutic interventions for difficulties which may present in the context of personality disorders, traumatic experiences, and adverse childhood experiences including past psychological, physical and sexual abuse, where clinical evidence indicates that people with these problems can benefit from psychological therapies.

PTS staff include clinical and counselling psychologists, psychological therapists, cognitive behaviour therapists, associate psychologists, assistant psychologists and administration teams.

We offer consultation, individual therapy and group-based workshops which may involve psychoeducation, behavioural programmes and talking therapy.

The PTS is an intensive intervention service, which means that support is goal focused and time-limited.  Not everyone with mental health difficulties needs specialised psychological therapy with PTS. For those with mild to moderate symptoms, community options such as counselling, social prescription, fitness programs, or volunteering may be equally effective or more effective – and faster to access. If this is the case, you should check out our Community Services section for options in your area. You can also talk to your GP to work out which service might be best for you.

How can the Psychological Therapies Service help?

Mental health difficulties arise from a combination of difficult life events and experiences, which shape how we think about ourselves, others, the world and future. One in six adults experience common mental health difficulties (Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing).

People may wish to seek support from the PTS to help them understand their challenges and emotions, to address unhelpful coping behaviours and work towards goals which will aim to improve their quality of life and wellbeing.

Accessing the Psychological Therapies Service

A referral to the Psychological Therapies Service is made by your GP or community mental health team keyworker. If your referral is accepted, you will be invited to an initial appointment to discuss your needs and collaboratively decide if involvement with the PTS is appropriate.

Alternatively, you may be signposted to other services, if your needs are more appropriately met by them.

If your difficulties are of mild to moderate severity, as defined in the ‘You in Mind’ framework below, Community Resources may be more appropriate.  Your GP, health professional, or PTS assessor can help you work out which step applies to you and which services will be most effective.

If the PTS is a suitable service for you, we will discuss the best therapy option, for example, individual therapy, a group workshop, or a combination of both.  Many studies have found that group work can be just as effective as one-to-one therapy.  There are also shorter waiting times for group therapy.

When we have agreed the best therapy option, you will be advised of the waiting time.

You will be placed on the waiting list and will receive a letter inviting you to book an appointment.

When attending a group workshop you will receive an introductory pack containing information about the programme and a schedule of the sessions. For individual therapy you will meet with your therapist for the first time, and if appropriate, organise regular appointments on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

 

 

‘You in Mind’ care model

The ‘You in Mind’ care model provides details of the types of services that may be available to you, if you are experiencing difficulties with your mental health.

Step 1: Self-directed help and health and wellbeing services

Support at this level usually involves responding to stress and mild emotional difficulties which can be resolved through making recovery focused lifestyle adjustments and adopting new problem solving and coping strategies.

Step 2: Primary Care Talking Therapies

Support at this level usually involves responding to mental health and emotional difficulties such as anxiety and depression. Recovery focused support involves a combination of talking therapies and lifestyle.

Step 3:  Specialist Community Mental Health Services

Support at this level usually involves responding to mental health problems which are adversely affecting the quality of personal/daily/and/or family/occupational life.  Recovery focused support and treatment will involve a combination of psychological therapies and/or drug therapies.

Step 4: Highly Specialised Condition Specific Mental Health Services

Support at this level usually involves providing care in response to complex/specific mental health needs. Care at this step involves the delivery of specialist programmes of recovery focused support and treatment delivered by a range of mental health specialists.

Step 5: High Intensity Mental Health Services

Support at this level is usually provide in response to mental health needs, including adopting new problem solving coping strategies, which involves the delivery of intensive recovery focused support and treatment provided at home or in hospital.

You in Mind Care Model for Mental Health Services in NI (PDF, 52 pages)

 Urgent help and emergency contacts

The Psychological Therapies Service is not an emergency service.  If you are in crisis and feel you require urgent help, you can contact:

• Your GP
  
• Out-of-Hours Doctor, Dalriada Urgent Care, Phone 028 2566 3500, Textphone – 18001 02825663500
• Emergency services: Call 999
• Lifeline: Phone 0808 808 8000, Text phone 18001 0808 808 8000 (https://www.lifelinehelpline.info/)
  Lifeline is a 24/7 service where counsellors provide immediate support on the phone. Should callers require further support, Lifeline can offer a face-to-face counselling appointment in your local area within seven days.
• SANE is a national out-of-hours mental health helpline offering specialist emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental health difficulties, including family, friends and carers.
  Phone – 0300 304 7000 (from 4.30pm to 10.30pm daily), email: support@sane.org.uk.
• Samaritans helpline provides a listening ear for those in distress. They can be contacted by calling the freephone number: 116 123

 

Psychological Therapies Service
Ferrard House, 32 Station Road, Antrim, BT41 4AB
Tel: 028 9441 5787