Community Mental Health

The Community Mental Health Team is based at St Johns Villa, Jamestown Hospital.

Contact: 22593 or through the Hospital switchboard on 22500. 

Hours of operation: 8.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.  

In emergencies there is an on call system for out of hours, please contact the General Hospital on tel: 22500.

Referral process: Referrals can be made in writing to:

Team Leader Mental Health St Johns Villa, email: Ian.rummery@sainthelena.gov.sh or or tel: 22593 or 22500 ext 2038.

The Team meets on a weekly basis to discuss new referrals and we aim to offer an appointment within two weeks for all routine referrals. Urgent referrals within 72 hours, emergency referral within 24 hours.   

Services provided by the Mental Health Team

  • Management and review of medication for mental health
  • Medication and support for people with severe and enduring mental illness
  • Course of evidence-based psychological treatment (e.g Cognitive behavioural therapy and brief solution focussed intervention)
  • Group-based intervention (e.g. positive for school-aged children)
  • School-based clinics
  • Consultation to school and education
  • Signposting, education and awareness around Mental Health to both the general public and people working with those who may be experiencing mental illness
  • Crisis care
  • Police and prison support (including custody assessments and prison intake assessments)
  • Liaison with other agencies and other directorates, when required

Team members

  • Team leader
  • Adult community psychiatric nurse (CPN)
  • Child and adolescent CPN
  • Clinical psychologist
  • Named doctor
  • Support worker
  • Educational psychologist
  • Consultant Psychiatrist available remotely (visits the Island twice a year).
  • We offer assessment and treatment for people across the lifespan from childhood to old age

Our team has professionals from more than one health discipline. We offer evidence-based mental health treatment and care.

Our contact with patients is provided at clinic based appointments, home visits and appointments at school.

We welcome feedback on our services. Your feedback helps us improve our services. In order to understand your experience of our care, we may ask you to complete the ‘Friends and family questionnaire’., which we will give you in our clinic.

Our commitment to you

We maintain patient confidentiality. This means that we will not discuss your concerns with other people where it is not to your benefit.

At times, and with your permission, information you have told us, may be shared with other people who need to know about your health in order to give you the right care and treatment.

As much as possible, we will discuss how the information is shared.

Complaints procedure

We work hard to provide you with the best care. If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service please call the team on tel: 22593. You should ask to speak with the team leader who will listen to your concern and do their best to resolve the issue.

If you prefer to complete the health department complaint form, which can found requested at the Hospital then please do so and submit to the Director of Health, Health Directorate, General hospital Jamestown.