Counselling Guidelines

Guidance on Inappropriate Referral Criteria for New Life Counselling

1. 1. Complex Mental Health Related Diagnosis (Stepped Care Level 3 and above)* https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg123/chapter/1-guidance
      *New Life Counselling is a Step 2 focused service, working with mild to moderate symptoms of mental ill health. For Steps 3 and above, a referral to appropriate statutory services via GP is recommended
   2. Current suicidal intent / active plan, where crisis management is a more appropriate treatment intervention.
   3. Forensic history / recent violent behaviour, posing a potential current risk to NLC staff and clients. *This includes individuals currently on probation as we have no funding source to deliver this work.
   4. Sexual offending history, posing a potential current risk to NLC staff and clients *includes reference to criteria 3 above
   5. For clients seeking treatment relating to substance misuse, consideration should also be given to referral to alternative services (eg. Addiction NI, Dunlewey Substance Centre) specifically focused on this issue in the best interests of the client.
   6. In the case of “non-Gillick” clients, consensus for the referral is sought from all persons with parental consent
      https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/consent-to-treatment/children/

New Life Counselling does not automatically accept all referrals received and reserves the right for appropriate clinical decision making with respect to all criteria referred to above.