Mental health services in Dorset will remain open over Christmas and new year.

The county’s Access Mental Health services will be open as usual to provide support during the festive period for people who are struggling to cope, anxious or feeling they are heading towards a crisis.

Led by Dorset HealthCare, the services offer round-the-clock help and advice to those in need, in person, over the phone and online over Christmas and the new year.
As the UK has emerged from the pandemic and the cost of living crisis has kicked in, the county’s 24-hour helpline alone has fielded thousands of calls each month during 2022.
Services available include:
• Connection – a 24/7 telephone helpline (0800 652 0190) for people of all ages which can provide direct help or signpost to a range of other services
• The Retreat – drop-in service run in partnership with the Dorset Mental Health Forum which provides a way for over-18s to talk through problems with a mental health worker or peer specialist face-to-face. The Dorchester Retreat is open from 4.30pm to 11.30pm, Sunday to Wednesday. Online support is also available
• Community Front Rooms – face-to-face drop-in support service for over-18s in Bridport, Shaftesbury, Wareham and Weymouth, open from 2.15pm to 9.45pm, Thursday to Sunday. Virtual support is also available. They are run by local charities – The Burrough Harmony Centre (Bridport), Hope (Shaftesbury) and Bournemouth Churches Housing Association (Wareham and Weymouth) – and are all staffed by mental health and peer support workers.

Laura Ekelund, Dorset HealthCare’s Crisis and Acute Community Services manager, said: “This year has continued to challenge people’s mental health. We know this time of year can be particularly hard for many and we are here to help.
“Our Access Mental Health services provide easy and flexible ways to get the help you need, no matter what your situation or the time of day.
“We have face-to-face support available in the evenings and there is someone at the end of a phone 24 hours a day. You can talk to mental health staff and peer specialists (people with their own lived experience of mental health issues) and get the right support and advice.
“We understand how hard it can be to ask for help, but please do contact us as we really want to listen and are here for you 24/7.”
For more information – including address details of the Retreats and Community Front Rooms – plus how to access virtual support, visit www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/access-mental-health.