You will be referred to a psychiatrist by your GP if your symptoms are severe and you are not able to function well. Sometimes there may be a waiting period before you can be seen by a psychiatrist or a trainee psychiatrist in the Community Mental Health Team covering the geographic area where you live. 

At times you may become very unwell if you have not responded to treatment as expected. In this situation, urgent assessments can be arranged by your GP via the Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (CATT). There will also be an arrangement set up for you to contact the CATT if things start getting worse or you feel unsafe with yourself. 

Once admitted into a Community Mental Health Team (CMHT), you will be assessed by a psychiatrist. Following completion of the psychiatric assessment, you may be assigned a Case Manager (CM)  to provide for your ongoing care and support in the community. Your CM will be part of the Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) which is a group of experienced mental health professionals including your psychiatrist, Community Psychiatric Nurses (CPNs), trainee psychiatrist (if any), psychologists, Social Workers (SWs), and Occupational Therapists (OTs). 

After a period of assessment, treatment and rehabilitation under the CMHT, you may become well and safe enough to be discharged into the care of your GP. The CMHT will discharge you only after consultation with yourself, your family (whanau) or other significant person (if involved in your care and treatment) and your GP. These decisions are very important and are only taken after further discussion in the weekly MDT meeting.

Once discharged, you may be re-referred to the CMHT by your GP if your mental state becomes of concern. Usually all referrals, assessments and treatments will be done with your consent but if you are so mentally unwell that you have no awareness of your health and are consequently unable to agree to treatment, then your treatment and care will be compulsory under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992. This Act is designed to provide assessment and safe treatment without causing you further harm of any sort. As soon as you are well and safe enough, you will be discharged from under the MH (CAT) Act 1992.