A Mental health service has launched in Berkshire to help young people across Reading, Wokingham, and Berkshire West.
Tellmi is a digital app which brings peer support and therapy to young people experiencing problems with mental health, commissioned by the NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB).
Developed in partnership with Brighter Futures for Children, Reading’s children’s services company, along with West Berkshire Council and Wokingham Borough Council, the service is designed to bring much-needed mental health support to young people in the area.
Tellmi has already been commissioned by the NHS across several UK regions, and a number of schools have funded the app independently, meaning those who need it in the BOB care partnership join an established community of users.
Anyone aged between 11-17 will be able to access the service completely anonymously without the need for a formal referral.
Tellmi is accredited by the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists. and ensures that all counsellors hold the relevant qualifications and accreditations required for the service that they provide.
In Berkshire West, an estimated 14.3% of 11–16-year-olds have a diagnosable mental health disorder, and Berkshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) has seen a 60% increase in referrals in the last 12 months.
Dr Heather Howells, a partner and trainer at Kintbury and Woolton Hill Surgeries, and GP Clinical Lead for mental health, dementia, and learning disabilities at BOB ICB–Berkshire West, said: “The emotional well-being and mental health of our children and young people has always been a priority.
“But probably never more so than now as we look at the challenges and pace of life and the all-pervasive influence of social media.
“Add to this the pandemic which, for many children and young people, has exacerbated their feelings of worry and anxiety.”
She explained: “Tellmi is a great resource to help try and capture their concerns and try and prevent them growing into more serious problems.”
Kerstyn Comley, Co-Ceo and Co-founder of Tellmi said: “Digital solutions have the potential to transform the way that mental health support is accessed.
“But they must be safe and evidenced-based, which is why at Tellmi everything is backed up by research and safeguarding is a priority.”
“By integrating into an existing, structured care pathway in Berkshire West, children and young people are now able to access the right support for them, at the right time.”
More information about Tellmi is available via: tellmi.help
