Police and mental health
Explains when you may have contact with the police, what happens if you are arrested and what your rights are if you are taken to the police station.
View this information as a PDF (new window)
Useful contacts
How to find an advocate
To find advocacy services and groups in your area, you could call Mind's Legal Line on 0300 466 6463 or contact your local Mind.
If you're in hospital, you can also contact the:
- Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) in England
- Community Health Council in Wales
In some situations, you may be legally entitled to the support of an advocate. For more information, see our page on your legal rights to advocacy.
Other organisations
Civil Legal Advice (CLA)
gov.uk/civil-legal-advice
Can tell you if you're eligible for legal aid, and give you free and confidential legal advice if so.
Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)
policeconduct.gov.uk
Oversees police complaints in England and Wales.
Law Society
lawsociety.org.uk
Professional association for solicitors in England and Wales. Includes a searchable directory of solicitors.
Legal aid checker
gov.uk/check-legal-aid
Tells you whether you are entitled to free legal advice, and where you can find legal advisors that specialise in criminal law (England and Wales).
This information was published in November 2017.
This page is currently under review. All content was accurate when published.
References are available on request. If you would like to reproduce any of this information, see our page on permissions and licensing.