External resources & other organisations

Sometimes, mental health issues can be triggered or exacerbated by external factors such as money concerns, relationships, or work difficulties. We have compiled a list of external resources and other organisations that may be able to support you with something that we are not.

In addition to the below list of organisations and services, you may also like to take a look at Hackney Find Support Services, where you can find local organisations offering support and activities to City and Hackney residents.

If you think someone is in immediate danger, call the police on 999.

Local

Hackney Council (Adult Protection) - Report a concern if you are worried about someone’s safety, suspect abuse or neglect, or would like to report an incident. Call 020 8356 5782 (020 8356 2300 out of hours) or email adultprotection@hackney.gov.uk.

Nia - Services for women and girls who have been subjected to sexual and domestic violence and abuse, including prostitution. Nia offers community based services in Hackney, Haringey, Barking and Dagenham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Havering, Newham and Brent.

The Havens is a network of specialist sexual assault referral centres located across London. The Havens can help you if you’ve been raped or sexually assaulted in the past 12 months. You don't have to be referred, report the assault to the police or see your GP. All you need to do is phone the Havens for an appointment before visiting, which you can do 24 hours a day. Call 020 3299 6900.

National

Refuge - Offers a free, confidential domestic abuse helpline, open 24/7. Call 0808 2000 247. Refuge also offer a live chat option on their website for anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable or safe having a phone call. This service is open 3-10pm Monday to Friday.

Victim Support - Support for victims of crime and traumatic incidents.

Mind - Guide to support options for abuse.

Rape Crisis - Visit their website to find a Rape Crisis Centre, get online emotional support, or access information and self-help tools.

The Survivors Trust - Offers a tool to help you find support services in your local area as well as a free telephone helpline. The Trust welcomes calls from survivors of all ages, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations and walks of life.

Local

The Advocacy Project - Independent, confidential and free advocacy service to help people get the information they need, understand their rights and explore their choices. This service is open to people living in the London boroughs of Hackney or Hammersmith and Fulham.

Citizens Advice Hackney - Free, confidential and impartial advice.

Hackney Community Law Centre - Free and independent legal advice.

Age UK East London - Provides trained advocates to support older people in expressing choices about matters affecting their everyday lives.

National

POhWER - A charity that helps people to be involved in decisions being made about their care. Call POhWER’s support centre on 0300 456 2370 for advice.

The Advocacy People - A charity providing free and confidential advocacy support. Call 0330 440 9000 for advice or text PEOPLE to 80800 and someone will get back to you.

VoiceAbility - Free, independent advocacy support to involve you in decisions about your health, care and wellbeing. Call their helpline on 0300 303 1660 for advice or use VoiceAbility’s online referral form.

NHS Care Programme Approach (CPA) - A package of care for people with mental health problems, including an assessment, a care coordinator and a care plan.

Local

City and Hackney Carers Centre - supports the unmet practical, emotional and social needs of carers. Phone 020 8533 0951 or email info@hackneycarers.org.uk

Local

Hackney CVS has created a useful list of services and resources that can help if you’re struggling.

Hackney Council has brought out Help at Hand: a guide to the support available for Hackney residents during the cost of living crisis. The guide encompasses financial health, health and wellbeing, help with food and groceries, and energy bills.

Local

Turning Point (City and Hackney Recovery Service) - Delivered by Turning Point in partnership with Mind CHWF and Antidote, the integrated drug and alcohol service offers support to adult residents of the City of London and Hackney who would like support with their drug and alcohol use. To speak with the team, call 0345 144 0050 (9am-5pm weekdays)

Local

Have you seen that we offer work skills training placements for those who have been distanced from employment owing to mental ill health? Over the course of your placement, you’ll also receive regular check ins and support to access other opportunities. Take a look at our Better Health Training page to find out more.

Mind in the City, Hackney and Waltham Forest offer one-to-one employment support and adult education courses in English, Maths, ESOL and ICT.

Hackney Works is Hackney Council’s free employment support service for Hackney residents. Whether you’re looking for your first job, you want to progress further, or you’ve been out of work for a while, their advisors can help you to achieve your goals.

Volunteer Centre Hackney - Aim Higher supports people living in Hackney who are not working to access paid and voluntary employment opportunities, education and training.

Volunteer Centre Hackney - Step Up supports people with mental health issues to access, and sustain, volunteering as part of their mental health recovery and journey towards employment.

Jobcentre Plus - Hackney helps people to find and stay in work and claim working-age benefits.

National

Shaw Trust supports people into the workplace, especially those with complex needs.

Local

Riverside - Engage Hackney - Support for people aged 18+, who live in Hackney and those placed outside Hackney in temporary accommodation, who have housing related support needs.

Hackney Council - Housing options and advice.

Greenhouse GP Primary Care Practice - provides primary care support to to people living in hostels or supported accommodation, rough sleepers, and people who spend a significant amount of time on the street or in other public places. They also support people in squats or ‘sofa surfers.’

National

Government - In England, your council must help if you’re legally homeless or will become homeless within the next 8 weeks. There are different types of support your council could offer you. For example, they may offer you advice, emergency housing, support to find longer-term housing, or help so you can stay in your home.

Shelter - Provides housing advice.

Streetlink - You can contact Streetlink and ask for help if you’re sleeping rough, or worried about someone who is.

Mind - Information about housing and mental health and where to get support.

Local

ELOP is an LGBT Health and Wellbeing Charity, serving London and Essex. They offer a broad programme of mental health support, including counselling, wellbeing workshops and more. Clients can self-refer or be referred by a health and wellbeing professional. Email mentalhealth@elop.org

London Friend - A range of services to improve the health and mental well-being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex or Queer people. 02078331674 / office@londonfriend.org.uk.

Local

City & Hackney Mental Health Crisis Line - If you, or someone you know, is experiencing thoughts they cannot control, is in danger of harming themselves or someone else, is seeing or hearing things that are not there, or any other urgent mental health crisis, you can call 0800 073 0006. This line is open 24 hours, every day of the year.

Crisis Café - As well as offering a welcome cuppa, the Crisis Café is a safe, supportive and therapeutic place for anyone struggling and not coping with life. It means people do not have to be alone, struggling with upsetting thoughts or worry. The Café is at The Raybould Centre, City and Hackney Centre for Mental Health, Homerton Row, E9 6SR and is open from 6pm-9pm Monday to Friday, and from noon-4pm on Saturday and Sundays. Call 073937 62366.

Service User Network - The Service User Network is for people who experience emotional and psychological distress, frequent mood changes, emotional instability, self-harm and/or have thoughts of suicide. It is a supportive and therapeutic group for individuals to develop self-help management strategies to prevent future crisis. The Network can also support family, friends and people who support someone with mental health issues. To find out more, contact the SUN on 07508 842 688.

Mind in North East London (Safe Connections – Local Support for People Facing Suicide) - The Safe Connections Suicide Prevention Helpline number is: 0300 561 0115 and currently operates Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 4.30pm. They are a self-referral service that provides a warm and safe space to explore suicidal feelings, triggers, and the underlying causes. They will support callers to find and access other local services in the community, that can support to manage, or reduce suicidal feelings. The service is available to anyone living in North East London (Hackney, City, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Havering and Barking and Dagenham).

Maytree - A residential respite centre in Islington for people who are feeling suicidal. Maytree is not a crisis intervention centre that can be accessed immediately. Telephone support is offered between 8am and 8pm daily. Due to high service demand, the current wait time to be contacted for an initial befriending call is up to 72 hours.

The Listening Place - Provides free, face-to-face, ongoing support, by appointment, for those who feel that life is no longer worth living. Call 020 3906 7676.

National

Samaritans - Call 116 123 for free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

NHS - Information on where to get urgent help for mental health.

Papyrus - provides confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person through their helpline, HOPELINEUK.

SANEline - A national out-of-hours mental health helpline offering specialist emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental illness, including family, friends and carers. Call 07984 967 708, leave your first name and a contact number, and someone will call you back.

Staying Safe - A potentially life-saving resource developed by 4 Mental Health, with ideas about how to get through, and videos and guidance on making a safety plan.

If someone’s life is at risk or you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe, call 999 or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E).

Hackney WellFamily Plus - This service provides emotional and practical support to individuals, couples and families is open to anyone registered with a GP in City and Hackney, over age 16.

Local

Mind in the City, Hackney and Waltham Forest - Offers welfare benefits services.

Age UK East London - A free and confidential information and advice service for older people, their families and carers.

Citizens Advice Hackney - Free, confidential and impartial advice.

Hackney Advice - An A-Z directory of advice services in Hackney.

National

Citizens Advice - Information and confidential advice.