Dorset Mental Health Advocacy Service

The Dorset Mental Health Advocacy Service offers assistance on a range of matters. There are certain issues we cannot help with however, which may require you seeking more specialist advice.

We can

• Offer support to accepted clients at meetings, court appearances, tribunals, ward rounds and CPA reviews.
• Help make official complaints and prepare documents.
• Help you express your point of view to the right people and get your voice heard.
• Find expert advice, and liaise with official agencies - including benefits agencies.
• Ensure you are treated in accordance with your rights.

But we cannot

• Give you money or benefits.
• Give detailed legal, personal or medical advice.
• Offer counseling, befriending or emotional support.
• Help you if your problem is more appropriately dealt with by another agency.
• Respond to a crisis or respond out of hours.

We have an open referral system. You can refer yourself in confidence, you do not have to be referred by a doctor, CPN etc. You do not have to have a care plan, have a care coordinator or be under the Community Mental Health Team to use the Advocacy Service.

We help you solve specific problems and difficulties but we do not provide casework or long term support.

You can make an appointment to come into the Dorchester office or we can find a mutually convenient place nearer to you. We do our best to come and meet clients and this could be a public place such as a café or a GP surgery, local CMHT office or resource centre.

We occasionally do home visits but only in exceptional circumstances.

We aim to provide a service that is welcoming and accessible to everyone regardless of ethnicity, faith, colour, gender, sexual orientation or physical ability. Please let us know what your needs are and we will do our best to meet them.

The Dorset Mental Health Advocacy service was established in 1993 and was one of the first mental health advocacy services in the South West of England.

The service was originally managed by Rethink (then known as The National Schizophrenia Fellowship), but came under the Dorset Mental Health Forum's management in 2002.

The project operates across both East and West Dorset and currently employs two advocates and an administrator.

If you think an advocate may be able to help you, please contact:

For North, West and South Dorset

Catherine Bramble

Tel: 01305 261483
Mobile: 07749 039360

email: catherinebramble@dorsetmentalhealthforum.org.uk

For Wimborne, Christchurch and Purbeck

John Parkinson-Hardman

Tel: 01305 261483
Mobile: 07946 796268

email: johnph@dorsetmentalhealthforum.org.uk

Main Office

Dorset Mental Health Advocacy
29-29a Durngate Street
Dorchester
DT1 1JP

Tel: 01305 261483
Fax: 01305 261049