Reach Out online chat

Our web chat is for adults and young people aged 16+ looking for information, advice or support about a range of issues – from drug and alcohol help, mental health challenges to housing problems, financial, housing, employment and relationship issues. You can be contacting for yourself or on behalf of a friend or relative. You are welcome to contact us to talk about anything that is worrying you, we aim to listen take time to understand and potentially make some suggestions of other organisations of support relevant to your needs.

For current East Kent Forward Trust clients if you need support regarding pharmacy or prescription issues please do contact the service you are registered with if within office opening hours or alternatively for out of hours support call: 0300 123 1560

Everything you tell us is confidential. We won’t share it with anyone else.

The only time this might change is if we have serious concerns about your own or someone else’s safety. We would only need to say or do something if:

We believe your life or someone else’s life is in danger

• You are a young person under the age of 18 and you let us know that you are being hurt by someone.
• You tell us that you are seriously hurting someone else or have plans to seriously hurt someone else.
• If you share information with us which identifies a child or adult at risk who is suffering abuse or harm, we will want to gather a full understanding of the situation and gather as much information as possible, we may contact other relevant services. We can’t accept anonymous third party information we can only help in these circumstances if we have information which identifies you.

We also can’t give you any information about another client, or confirm whether or not we’re working with someone. This is due to data protection and client confidentiality legislation.

Find out more about how we protect your privacy.

To make sure your chat stays private, it’s best to use your own phone or computer rather than a shared one. If you don’t have your own phone or computer, you can use private browsing.

When you use In Private tabs or windows, your browsing data (like your history, temporary internet files, and cookies) isn’t saved on your PC once you’re done. To access select the Settings and More icon, and then New InPrivate window.

All our online chat facilitators are either staff or volunteers of The Forward Trust. Our volunteers come from a diverse variety of backgrounds, some volunteers have lived experience of addiction and maybe graduates of our programmes and in recovery themselves.

Other volunteers have been affected by addiction within their family.

We also attract University students to the role and mature students of Counselling, Psychology or Criminology.

Our volunteers receive initial training and access to ongoing training and support and guidance within their role. All our volunteers are motivated by care and compassion and give their time freely to facilitate the service.

You are welcome to access Reach Out as a repeat or return caller for as long as you feel necessary. You will be able to speak to a member of our team and there is no specific time limit to the length of time spent chatting. We will however not allocate you to the same chat facilitator each time.

Our web chat service is currently available between 9am and 3pm Monday-Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) We are an evolving service and would like to extend our opening hours in the future.

If you do call through outside of these hours, the call will ring and come through to a messaging service. This function requires you to leave your email address, you are welcome to leave us an offline message. We respond to these messages first thing in the morning on the next working day. Please do leave as much info as you are comfortable to share so we can provide you with accurate information regarding services specific to your geographical area.

If you live in East Kent and are concerned about your own or someone else’s drug and alcohol use, you can call our free 24-hour helpline: 0300 123 1560

If you do feel you would like to chat outside of our opening hours please contact one of the organisations suggested below or alternatively search for local mental health support lines in England.

Click here to find a local NHS mental health helpline in England:
Mental Health Helpline for Urgent Help – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

For Scotland:

• Scotland Association for Mental Health (SAMH): 0344 800 0550 or info@samh.org.uk (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm)
• NHS 24: 111 or https://www.nhs24.scot/ (365 days a year, 24 hours a day)
• Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87 or https://breathingspace.scot/ (365 days a year, 24 hours a day)

For Wales:

• Mental Health Helpline for Wales, Community Advice and Listening Line, available 24/7, 365 days a year. Freephone: 0800 132 737 or text help to 81066 A.L.L. Mental Health Helpline – Community Advice and Listening Line (callhelpline.org.uk)

Reach Out is not a crisis service, if you are struggling to cope please contact the Samaritans on 1116 123

Or if you are in crisis or urgent situation, such as a suspected overdose, call 999.

If you have non-emergency health concerns, you can contact:

• NHS 111 for non-emergency medical advice.
• A local pharmacy can also provide a range of non-emergency advice.

List of recommended national support services:

Anxiety UK

Nationwide organization that supports all things anxiety-related.  Whether you have anxiety, stress, anxiety-based depression or a phobia that’s affecting your daily life. They are fully supported by an expert team of medical advisors, and offer an online chat service.
www.anxietyuk.org.uk
Telephone the helpline number on 03444 775 774 (Mon-Fri: 10:30am-4:30pm)
Text support on 07537 416905 (Mon-Fri: 10.30-4.30)
Ask Anxia automated web-chat service for anxiety queries available 24/7

CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)

Provides a free and confidential helpline and website – 7 hours a day (5pm-Midnight), 7 days a week for anyone who needs to talk about life’s problems. CALM also support those bereaved by suicide, through the Support after Suicide Partnership (SASP).

www.thecalmzone.net
Telephone: 0800 585858
Web chat, both phone and web chat available 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year.

My Black Dog

An online mental health charity which is facilitated by volunteers. All their volunteers are people who have experienced mental health illness including suicide, self-harm and depression. Online chat support is available. Also offers guidance and support for mental health.

www.myblackdog.co
Web chat available weekday evenings 5pm-10pm and on Sundays 7pm-10pm.

The Mix

The UK’s leading support service for young people under the age of 25. They offer support with a range of issues from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. Support is offered via their online community, through their free, confidential helpline or web chat counselling service.
www.themix.org.uk
One to one Web chat available 4pm-11pm Mon-Fri
For crisis messenger text THEMIX to 85258

Give us a Shout

Provides help with a range of issues including anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, relationship problems, bullying or if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

www.giveusashout.org
Text SHOUT to 85258 support available 24/7