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The purpose of an assessment is to build up an accurate picture of your needs.Different professionals and agencies provide a range of services, that meansyour initial assessment may involveoneor moreprofessionals.

Wherever you take help, you will get a detailed assessment. I’d say if you are not ready to discuss don’t want to, it helps to be frank and open. You only have to talk about what you need to talk about. As a rule of a thumb, have the opportunity to ask any questions about your condition,the diagnosis, possible causes,anytreatments on offer, and how those may impact on your life. Basically the outcome of the assessment going to be discussed with you. It might be that another approachora new assessmentis vital in case you want to find a more suitable service for you.

Make look for to discuss and tick every point off during your appointment, before your appointment.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about things you find unclear.

Talk to the mental health professional you are seeing about your concerns. Let the health professional explain it to you until you are sure you understand it If you feel that the treatment or mental health service was not working for you, you’d better say something. Your GP may also be able to assist you. Ask the manager of your mental health service to see someone different, including another psychiatrist or care co ordinator, I’d say if you don’t feel that your concerns are taken seriously. Now regarding the aforementioned fact… You will always be allocated a named person as your care coordinator. Let me tell you something. With that said, this can be a nurse, social worker, occupational therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist, or an employment specialist. I’m sure you heard about this. It’s important your treatment is reviewed on a regular basis, your personal needs may change over time.

Your care coordinator must ensureyouhave regular reviews, and may be your first point of contact if you have concerns.

Often it’s the clinic, community mental health centre or GP surgerywhere you meet your care co ordinator regularly.

Your review should take place in a familiar place. It can be possible for it totake placeat your house or in a neutral place, similar to a community centre. Loads of individuals prefer to bring an advocate to their review. Advocates can be volunteers, just like mental health charity workers, or professionals, like lawyers. Fact, alternatively,check with your local council who your advocacy provider is. Certainly, your care coordinator will tell you what advocacy services are available in your local area.

You can always arrange to bring a friend or relative to a review for support. Now, an advocate is someone who will represent your views and interests throughout the review process. Most NHS trusts have arrangements in place for second opinion requests and, where possible,will work with youso you cansee anothermental health professional. You can ask for a second opinion, if you are not sure about a diagnosis or treatment suggested to you. They will give you advice on what steps to take next. Fact, or the mental health service refuses to offer a second opinion or a change of health professional, contact your local Patient Advice and Liaison Service, I’d say in case your doctorrefuses to pass on your request. Of course alternatively, you could ask an advocate to should be able to ain’t specialised enough to give a diagnosisor effective treatment for your condition, and you may look for an expert to provide this instead.

You can ask for a specialist second opinion on the NHS. Others don’t and a specialist should then have to be found elsewhere, some mental health trusts do offer specialist services. From a specialist mood disorders or psychosis service your psychiatrist may agree to this and take steps to arrange it, if you need an independent opinion from outside your current mental health service let’s say. Some specialist services are specially funded for such referrals -they usually have information on their websites about this. That said, alternatively, your GPcan arrange this,but they may have to contact yourlocal clinical commissioning group, that will hereafter decide whether they willpay for an independent opinion. Clinical commissioning groups are in charge of thefunding for your local NHS and decide where the moneyshould bespent. Let me tell you something. You could contact the CCGdirectly, So if your GP tells you that your request is refused as long as the CCG ain’t funding it. Notice, explain your reasons and ask them to reconsider.

It is called an individual funding request, Therefore if you apply directly to the CCG. Including circumstances where you are not in agreement with how your GP or current mental health team have responded to the recommendations of a second opinion, you can file an official complaint using the NHS complaints procedure, So in case you are not happy with any facts of your care.