We can all struggle with our mental health and wellbeing at times, however old we are. If you are a child or young person in Kent and Medway, specific services to support you are just a text, call or a click on website or app away.
Scroll down on this page to find support services for you.
To access support, please visit kooth.com.
Kooth is a free, safe, and anonymous online platform where young people can access mental health support whenever they need it. Delivered in partnership with the NHS, Kooth is available to anyone between the ages of 10-25 in Kent and Medway.
Kooth offers a comprehensive range of services specially designed to offer young people support in different ways. Everyone is different; at Kooth you can choose from different types of support to suit your needs.
Live text chat and messaging
Users can chat with trained counsellors and emotional wellbeing practitioners from 12pm to 10pm on weekdays and 6pm until 10pm on weekends. We are open 365 days a year, even on Christmas Day and other public holidays*
Self-help activities
Kooth provides a variety of self-help activities that users can engage in at their own pace. These activities are designed to help manage stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
Informative articles
The platform hosts a library of articles written by both professionals and peers. These articles cover a wide range of topics relevant to young people's mental health and wellbeing.
Journaling and goal-setting
Kooth offers tools such as journaling and goal-setting to help users track their progress and manage their mental health more effectively.
A space created by young people for young people to help navigate and learn about emotions. Visit the website.
A resource that helps young people, parents and carers, staff and practitioners to understand emotional wellbeing and resilience.
The Kent Therapeutic Alliance is an emotional wellbeing support service for children and young people, led by Salus.
To find out more information, including how to make a referral, take a look at the website.
We support:
You can access this service if you:
How we help
The Team provides support tailored to your needs, and can help you:
We offer different types of support, including:
Our support is:
Referrals and accessing support
All referrals are made through our referral form, which can be completed online, by phone or on paper.
We will guide you to the most appropriate pathway to make sure the right support is in place.
Workshops, drop-ins and wider support
We also offer:
The Kent Therapeutic Alliance is:
Delivered by
In partnership with
Salus also run the Kent Therapeutic Support Service which is an emotional wellbeing support service for children and young people.
The Therapeutic Support Service is available for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate wellbeing needs who:
To find out more information, including how to make a referral, take a look at our website.
What does it offer?
This service provides a wide range of support options depending on your needs and wishes.
Some examples of the areas we can provide support for are:
We are led by you so, support may be group-based or 1-1 and can be offered face-to-face, virtually or via telephone; in spaces you feel most comfortable in.
We will guide you to the most appropriate pathway to make sure the right support is in place. This may mean you are offered support from the Therapeutic Alliance and/or the Therapeutic Support Service.
The Kent Therapeutic Support Service is:
Delivered by
On behalf of
The Medway Therapeutic Alliance is an emotional wellbeing support service for children and young people, led by North Kent Mind.
To find out more information, including how to make a referral, take a look at the website.
We support:
You can access this service if you:
How we help
The Team provides support tailored to individual needs, and can help you:
We offer different types of support, including:
Our support is:
Referrals and accessing support
All referrals are made through our referral form, which can be completed online, by phone or on paper.
Referrals can be made by children/ young people, families or professionals.
We review every referral and focus on the voice of the child or young person, putting their goals first.
Families do not need to choose a specific service. We will guide you to the most appropriate pathway to make sure the right support is in place.
Workshops, drop-ins and wider support
We also offer:
Sessions support better understanding of emotional wellbeing and are advertised on our website schedule, with information on how to access.
The Medway Therapeutic Alliance is:
Delivered by:
On behalf of:
Supported by:
The Medway children's mental health website signposts to local mental health services in the Medway area.
Visit the website.
Megan CIC offers group support for those who have, or have had, mental health issues and those who are neurodiverse.
Megan CIC is for young people aged 17 and above.
They also hold events to help you express your views on mental health support in Medway.
Visit the Megan CIC website for more information .
Medway's Community Support Mental Health Outreach Team (CSMHT) for students and young people.
CSMHT will work with you to create a recovery plan.
The service is only available through referral from the Adult Social Care team.
If you, or a young person you're supporting, is finding that mental health difficulties are getting in the way of everyday life - things like going to school, seeing friends, or enjoying usual activities - specialist help is available.
If you, or they, are not currently receiving support from Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust, please complete this form. A mental health professional will review the information to make sure the support offered is the best fit for individual needs.
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust's specialist services may not be right for everyone. When this is the case, they work closely with trusted partners across Kent and Medway that offer a range of emotional and wellbeing support. If another service is better placed to help, they will signpost to them.
If you, or the young person you're supporting, is already receiving treatment from Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust please call your local office. Find further details.
If you, or the young person you're supporting, needs help with Learning Disabilities, Autism, ADHD, Tics and Tourette's Syndrome please visit Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust's website to find out more about how they or other organisations can help or how to seek a diagnostic assessment. There is a lot of help available that does not require a diagnosis to access.
Eating disorders
If you, or a young person you're supporting, wants help to overcome an eating disorder there is specialist help available. Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust offers a specialist eating disorder service for anyone aged 8 years or older and can help with:
Please visit the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust's website for more information on how they can help, how to ask for help or make a referral.
