Self help

The Mental Health Foundation has put together 10 practical ways to look after your mental health. Making simple changes to how you live doesn't need to cost a fortune or take up loads of time. Anyone can follow this simple advice.

Courses

Stress control group

Stress Control is a free course suitable for anyone over 18 who experiences symptoms of stress, anxiety and panic.  

The course will help you learn new skills to manage stress more confidently. It is an educational course and you will not be expected to share any personal information or experiences. 

The course lasts 5 weeks for around 2 hours a week.

It is delivered by professionals from the Primary Care Mental Health Team. 

The course comes with free written information all about stress and ways of looking after yourself.  

Anyone over 18 and living in Rotherham can attend the course. You do not need a referral from the Doctor or a health professional.  People can self-refer by calling the Primary Care Mental Health Team on 01709 302630. 

Advice and signposting

Rotherham health advice centre

The Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) at the Health Advice Centre are available to help when you need advice, have concerns or don’t know where to turn.

• For on the spot help to sort out problems quickly on your behalf.
• For advice and support for you, your families and carers.
• Information on local and national support groups and voluntary organisations
• Information on illnesses, conditions and treatments
• How to look after and improve your health
• Help with NHS costs, such as prescription charges or dental and optical costs

Doctors

Doctors (who are also called general practitioners or GPs) look after the health of people in their local community and deal with a whole range of health problems.  Doctors may refer someone who is worried about their mental health to a worker from Primary Care Mental Health Team. 

Mental health workers 

(The primary care mental health team)

Are a team of practitioners, based in GP surgeries, who are skilled in helping people overcome emotional and mental health difficulties such as:

• Depression
• Stress
• Anxiety sleep problems
• Assertiveness problem
• Confidence and self esteem problems

Following a referral to the team, you will be offered an assessment with one of the workers. You may then be offered a brief treatment programme at your own GP Practice.  Alternatively you may be provided with information about other organisations with specialist knowledge that may be more useful for your needs.

The Primary Care Mental Health Service can also offer prescriptions for relevant self-help books in conjunction with local libraries, lifestyle advice to help prevent further difficulties and information about Stress Control Classes help within the local community

For further information on the service you can contact:

Senior Clinical Nurse Manager for Mental Health or the Mental Health Facilitatoron 01709 302630 or speak to your doctor who may refer you.

Books on prescription

The Books on prescription scheme is for people experiencing mild to moderate mental health problems. 

Mental Health workers in GP practices can ‘prescribe’ a book or relaxation CD for patients, which can be borrowed free of charge from selected Rotherham Libraries, to help with recovery. 

There are books on most areas of mental health including anxiety, depression, improving self esteem, eating disorders and many more.

There is no charge for borrowing a book or CD and for those who aren’t already library members the prescription counts as proof of identification at the library making it simple and easy to join. The service is confidential.

The books are also available to borrow without prescription; just visit your local library and, even if they don’t have the book you want the staff will order it for you from another library without charge.

Participating libraries are:

• Rotherham Central Library
• Dinnington Community Library
• Kiveton Community Library
• Maltby Community Library
• Rawmarsh Community Library
• Swinton Community Library
• Thurcroft Community Library
• Wath Community Library
• Wickersley Community Library

Please contact individual libraries to check opening times.

Help with work

Rotherham occupational health advice service (ROHAS)

ROHAS provides advice and support to enable people to deal with a whole range of work related health issues, including:

• Information on conditions and health advice 
• Information and advice about your employment rights 
• Referral to other NHS Professionals 
• Mediation with your employer

Advisors are based at Oak House and see clients in some GP practices, the Community Health Centre in the centre of Rotherham or at Oak House. To contact the advisors to discuss whether they could help you please call

• 01709 428964

• 01709 428965 

• 01709 428966

You can also enquire at your GP practice about whether you can see ROHAS.