Who can use Mind Matters?

This page explains who can use Mind Matters, who we can support, and when we may not be the right service.

Referral criteria

We accept self-referrals and referrals from GPs and health or care professionals.

To use the service, people must:

  • Be aged 17 or over
  • Be registered with a Surrey GP
  • Live in Surrey or be currently staying in Surrey
  • Not need urgent or crisis support
  • Not be receiving psychological treatment privately or through another service

People do not need to have a fixed address to receive support.

We are not able to accept referrals from people who

  • Are in severe crisis and unable to keep themselves safe
  • Pose a significant risk to themselves or others and cannot follow a risk management plan
  • Are experiencing psychosis where this is central to the presenting issue
  • Are not registered with a Surrey GP
  • Are currently having psychological treatment privately or through another service

Conditions we can support

We can support people who are experiencing:

  • Depression, including during pregnancy and up to 2 years after birth
  • Generalised anxiety disorder
  • Panic disorder
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Specific phobias
  • Social anxiety disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Illness anxiety disorder or health anxiety
  • Body dysmorphic disorder, where this is not in the context of an eating disorder or gender dysphoria

We can also support people with long-term physical health conditions where this is affecting their mental health and contributing to low mood or anxiety, including:

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Diabetes
  • Chronic pain
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Medically unexplained symptoms
  • Irritable bowel syndrome

Conditions that do not automatically exclude someone

We do not treat these conditions directly. However, we may be able to support mild to moderate anxiety or depression linked to them, where they are not the main presenting problem.

  • Substance misuse, where related symptoms are present, and the substance misuse has stabilised

  • Mild learning disability, where anxiety or depression related symptoms are present

  • Early-stage dementia, where the person can engage with short-term therapy

  • Parkinson’s disease, where the person can engage with short-term therapy

  • Psychosis, if the person is not experiencing acute symptoms, is not under another service and is taking medication

When Mind Matters may not be the right service

We are not able to offer treatment where the main presenting problem is:

  • Complex or multiple-event post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Schizophrenia with current psychotic symptoms
  • Personality disorder where presentation is unstable
  • Severe or complex personality disorder
  • Ongoing childhood abuse, including sexual abuse
  • Current domestic abuse, including sexual abuse, where the distress is linked to the relationship
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Eating disorders, including avoidant restrictive food intake disorder
  • Addiction
  • Severe self-neglect with significant risk to life
  • Dependence on drugs or alcohol where the person is not engaged with a specialist treatment service, or where substance misuse is the main presenting problem, or where it affects their ability to attend and engage with therapy

Referrals from secondary care services

Mind Matters can co-work with some secondary care services where this has been agreed in advance.

This includes:

  • Perinatal Mental Health Team

  • Community Mental Health Team for Older People

We may also accept referrals from i-access where the person has completed treatment and has had a sustained reduction in substance use or abstinence. They may still be attending a SMART group or following a medically managed reduction programme.

People under Community Mental Health Recovery Services will usually only be considered if a discharge meeting is planned within the next 8 weeks to support a smooth transfer of care.