Local services for young people and their mental health
CAMHS crisis service phone line and live chat
If you are in a crisis, at risk of self-harm or suicide, Northamptonshire’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) crisis service is now open 24/7 and can be accessed by calling 0800 170 7055.
You can also text Shout to 85258 (find out more). If your life is at imminent risk, call 999 for emergency help.
Or you can live chat with an advisor over the website - CAMHS Live, Monday to Friday 9am-7pm.
Espresso Yourself - Wellbeing cafes for young people
If you are struggling with your mental health or find yourself in a crisis then local services are there to listen and support you.
NHFT, St Andrews Healthcare, Lowdown and YouthWorks are together offering weekly drop-in cafes in Northampton, Corby and Kettering where you can talk to a mental health professional in a safe space. The friendly staff will listen and help you by providing advice, support or signpost / refer you to the relevant team or organisation.
There is no need to call or book an appointment, you can drop in to one of the locations when they are open.
Please check the NHFT website for the times and locations
The conversations that take place will be led by you and the staff will provide a listening ear. You can come along by yourself, with a friend or family member if you wish to – the idea is to create a safe space for you to feel comfortable in sharing how you feel.
You can watch a video about what to expect on the lowdown website.
Please note these crisis cafes are for anyone between the ages of 12 to 18 years, living in Northamptonshire.
Contact the lowdown 01604 634385 or Youthworks 01536 518339 for more information.
September 2021 update:
NEW SERVICE - for 19-25 year olds in Northamptonshire. Drop in or get remote support with your mental health and well-being every Friday 1-3pm at Northampton Central Library. drop in between 1pm and 3pm or call 01604 634385 to book an appointment.
A confidential and non-judgemental space for you to gain advice, coping strategies and support. Face-to-face or video or phone support.
School nursing service
Text a school nurse (Chat Health) - for friendly, helpful advice. This service is designed for 11-19 year olds: 07507 329 600 Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm
Youth Works Northamptonshire
Youth Works Northamptonshire is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation that delivers education and support services to the young people of Northamptonshire.
Find out more about the services they are currently providing on their website.
The Lowdown
the lowdown is a voluntary Mental Health charity, providing free and confidential counselling, emotional wellbeing, sexual health and LGBTQ support services for 11-25 year olds.
Find out more about the services they offer on their website or 'speak' to their Online emotional support chatbot
More wellbeing resources and videos are also available on their website.
REACH - Youth Counselling for Northamptonshire
REACH Collaboration provide professional and confidential youth counselling for young people aged from 11-19 across the County of Northamptonshire. Reach are five existing, highly regarded agencies:
- CHAT Youth Counselling
- Service Six
- The Lowdown - also shown above
- Time 2 Talk
- Youth Works - also shown above
Need more information about CAMHS?
Find out what you can expect from young people’s mental health services
Mobile apps
There are many mobile apps that can help you with your wellbeing:
Calm and Headspace are both designed to help you live better by stressing less, sleeping more, and improving your general outlook on life. Both apps help you learn the ins and outs of meditation, offer guided practices based on different themes, and feature tools designed to improve your sleep quality.
NHS apps - They include ThinkNinja, an app that helps 10-18-year olds learn about and manage their mental health, distrACT which offers quick and discreet access to information about self-harm and suicidal thoughts, and WorryTree which helps to notice, record and manage worries using behavioural therapy techniques.
Other online resources endorsed by Public Health Northamptonshire where young people can find out how they can help themselves are:
