What is the Approved Mental Health Professional service?
The Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Service in West Sussex responds to urgent requests for assessment under the Mental Health Act 1983 (revised 2007). AMHPs work closely with colleagues across the NHS in the county, as well as with police officers and the ambulance service.
There are AMHPs in a number of teams and services across the county. We (West Sussex County Council) have a number of other legal responsibilities under the Mental Health Act.
AMHP responsibilities
The AMHP Service provides high-quality assessments and support for people who are having a mental health crisis. AMHPs are independent and look at Mental Health Act assessments from a non-medical perspective.
The AMHP will ask you about your care needs and strengths, and will try to help you prevent your current situation getting worse. As far as possible, AMHPs will want to involve you in the assessment and planning process. This is because you understand your own strengths as well as your needs and can suggest ways to meet them.
AMHPs have the legal authority to temporarily take away your freedom, which would mean you being detained in a hospital. They will only do this if they believe it is necessary to protect your health or safety, or to protect others. There would also have to be no other options available. Being detained in a hospital because of a mental health crisis is sometimes known as ‘being sectioned’. You can only be sectioned if two doctors confirm to the AMHP, in writing, that this is necessary . One of the doctors must have specialist expertise in assessing mental health difficulties.
Our AMHPs will always consider other ways of helping you get the most appropriate care and treatment. But if you are not able to make your own decisions we may have to take action on your behalf. We will only do this if it is in your best interests.
Working in West Sussex
The AMHP Hub is a 24-hour service. AMHPs are approved and authorised to act on our behalf, although they may not be employed by us. We give AMHPs access to legal advice when they need this. We also provide insurance cover for all AMHP practice.