Our highly experienced multi-disciplinary team has developed a reputation, both nationally and internationally, as one of the leading providers in the perinatal mental health field.
Our aims include the following:
- To provide a safe, high quality, family friendly, mental health service – including assessment, treatment and care – for women suffering from psychiatric disorders associated with pregnancy and childbirth.
- To provide support and information to the families of the women under the care of the services
- To provide consultancy, advice, support and an educational resource to professionals and services who provide care to families experiencing such difficulties.
- To work in partnership with local authority social services and family teams to protect children who may be vulnerable as a consequence of their mother’s illness.
Philosophy
The philosophy of the service is to, whenever possible, minimise disruption to family life.
We believe that the women who use our services should feel respected and staff strive to maintain privacy and dignity at all times.
We aim to work collaboratively and encourage mothers to be actively involved, whenever possible, in the development of their treatment plan.
Struggling with your mental health can be very scary, particularly for new and expectant mums.
The NHS delivered over half a million babies in England last year. For many people, welcoming a new member into the family is a positive experience, filled with immense joy, excitement, and happiness. But it’s important to note that not everyone has such a smooth experience adapting to pregnancy and motherhood.
Who uses our service
We provide care and treatment to women experiencing:
- Antenatal and postnatal affective disorders including depression and bipolar affective disorder
- Antenatal and postnatal anxiety disorders impacting on pregnancy and childbirth such as tokophobia, perinatal onset OCD and PTSD arising from childbirth
- Severe and enduring mental illness in the perinatal period
- Postpartum/puerperal psychosis
- Mothers experiencing bonding disorders (infants under one-year-old)
How we can help
There are five distinct areas of the service:
- Ante-natal mental health liaison clinics.
- Inpatient service (Chamomile Suite).
- Outpatient service.
- Individual and group therapies.
- Community nursing service.
The service provides:
- Comprehensive psychiatric assessment and treatment (preconception, antenatally and postnatally).
- Advice on, and monitoring of, evidence based medication.
- Conjoint inpatient admission for women and their babies (under one year-old), for new mothers experiencing severe mental illness.
- Comprehensive, multidisciplinary inpatient assessment and treatment.
- Psychological assessment and evidence based psychological treatment and counselling for inpatient and outpatients.
- Time-limited, symptom-focused, psycho-educational group work and therapeutic groups for mothers with moderate mental health problems not requiring inpatient treatment.
- Occupational therapy assessment (inpatients only) and support including assessment and development of activities of daily living. Community nursing assessment and support.
- Facilitation of mother infant interaction through bonding interventions and nursery nurse support.
- Advice and support to other mental health services and social services
The team
The perinatal mental health team based at The Barberry Centre (Chamomile suite) comprises a comprehensive multidisciplinary team who co-ordinate the assessment, treatment and care of women in our care. The team comprises of:
- consultant psychiatrists,
- nursing staff,
- nursery nurses,
- an occupational therapist,
- a consultant clinical psychologist,
- Perinatal psychiatric nurses,
- sessional physiotherapists, sessional complementary therapists,
- sessional paediatrician,
- sessional health visitors and
- administration staff.
How to access our services
The service takes referrals directly from primary care as well as co-working with community mental health teams (CMHTs).
The service also accepts referrals to the inpatient unit from outside the West Midlands, if clinically appropriate, and subject to bed availability.
Referrals to the service should be directed to the Multi-disciplinary Team (MDT) which offers care and treatment to women experiencing:
- Antenatal and postnatal affective disorders including depression and bipolar affective disorder.
- Antenatal and postnatal anxiety disorders impacting on pregnancy and childbirth such as tokophobia, perinatal onset OCD and PTSD arising from childbirth.
- Severe and enduring mental illness in the perinatal period.
- Postpartum/puerperal psychosis.
- Mothers experiencing bonding disorders (infants under 1 year).
Please opt-in by discussing this with a member of the perinatal mental health team. A team member will be able to send further information and book an initial appointment.
Information for service users, carers and visitors
Please click the link below to access visiting and contact details for the site:
Anika’s journey into motherhood didn’t start off as she and her family had anticipated. Seven days after giving birth to her baby boy she started to experience symptoms of postpartum psychosis, something that affects one in 1,000 new mothers each year in the UK.
Partners and Relatives Pathway
BSMHFT support for non birthing parents and carers
We know that perinatal mental health difficulties not only affect women and birthing people, but partners, relatives, and the rest of the family too. As a perinatal mental health service, we want to offer partners and relatives the opportunity to talk about their experiences.
The Pathway
We are excited to have launched a new Partners and Relatives Pathway delivered in partnership between Acacia Family Support and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation NHS Trust Perinatal Services. Relatives, partners, and carers can access a one-off appointment (usually conducted via the telephone or video call), where they will be able to discuss any concerns they may have and think about what support might be useful moving forward.
This pathway is only for partners and relatives of women/birthing people who are currently being supported by the BSMHFT Perinatal Mental Health teams.
If your partner or relative is currently being supported by the BSMHFT Perinatal Mental Health teams and you wish to access this service, please opt-in by discussing this with a member of the perinatal mental health team. A team member will be able to send further information and book an initial appointment.
For more information about the Partners and Relatives support that us offered directly by Acacia, please use the links below:
For Dads/Male Carers/Non Binary
For Mums/Female Carers/Non Binary
You may also wish to access Carer Support services at Birmingham Carers Hub
If you care for an adult in Birmingham, and caring has a major impact on you, you can talk to Birmingham Carers Hub about the help and support you may need across all aspects of your life. This is called a Statutory Carer’s Assessment, and you have a legal right to request this. For more information, please visit: Statutory Carer Assessments – Birmingham Carers Hub
- 0333 006 9711
- Email: info@birminghamcarershub.org.uk
Home Group (formerly Stonham) (Birmingham residents)
- Telephone: Gateway line 0300 304 5530 (low call rate)
- Email: enquiries@Homegroup.org.uk
Carers Trust (Solihull residents) where a carers assessment can be accessed
- Telephone: 0121 788 1143
- Email: centre@solihullcarers.org/https://solihullcarers.org/
In the event of a crisis please contact:
People of all ages in England are able to access 24/7 local mental health crisis services directly by calling 111 and selecting the mental health option.
In Birmingham and Solihull, those already engaging with mental health services are asked to continue to contact their existing service. Contact telephone numbers will be in care plans and treatment plan letters.
If you are known to one of our community mental health teams, please contact them directly on the usual phone number or the out of hours number. For general advice, such as housing or benefits information, please call the Birmingham Mind helpline on 0121 262 3555.
Or, in the event of an emergency please call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. If you need advice that is not urgent call NHS 111 (dial 111) which is open 24 hours.
Please find further help below
