About us

What is the Mental Health Helplines Partnership?

Mental Health Helplines Partnership, also known as mhhp, is an independent charity that works in partnership with the providers of mental health helplines in England in pursuit of the following main charitable Object:

"To advance health particularly mental health for the benefit of the public, in particular but not exclusively by improving the quality of services to people suffering from ill health and those caring for or treating them."

50 mental health helplines are currently members of mhhp and the membership continues to grow. These helplines are provided from approximately 240 locations. They include generic national, regional and local helplines and specialist helpline

What are callers seeking from the mental health helpline sector?

• Available 24/7
• Contactable through telephone helplines, texting, email and websites
• A listening ear, emotional and psychological support, information, signposting
• Accessible to anyone experiencing distress, their families, their carers, professionals treating them and the general public

mhhp’s role in improving the mental health helpline sector

Mental health helplines who choose to become members work together, with the support of mhhp to improve:

• Choice – so callers can choose to contact a helpline that is most likely to meet their needs.
• Access – so everyone can access a helpline when they need to and in a way that suits them, providing equal access for everyone.
• Quality – so callers are contacting well managed and well equipped services that have trained supported staff, both volunteers and paid. Where callers are encouraged to provide feedback and evaluate the service they have received.
• Capacity – using a telecoms system and working together with other helpline services to increase capacity so that those who need helplines can always access them, as easily as possible.
• Governance – ensuring they are well managed, commissioned by funders, well reported upon, with the aim of being appropriately resourced and sustainable.

Further information

Public Briefing Paper - produced 2009

History of mhhp - produced 2009