Information for Clients
What is a referral?
A referral is when a professional, often a general practitioner (GP) or health care professional has requested for you to have an appointment with the Adult ASD Service.
They should discuss a referral with you before it is made.
The person referring you will complete a referral form explaining the reasons why they think it would be helpful for you to attend an appointment with our service.
You can be referred to the Adult ASD Service for:
- Assessment
- Support and Intervention
Can I refer myself?
No, the Adult ASD Service does not accept self-referrals.
You can discuss a referral with your GP or health care professional if you think you need an appointment with the Adult ASD Service.
What will happen next?
Once the referral has been received, the team will discuss the referral information.
You may be sent a number of self-rating questionnaires to return which will assist with this process.
If the referral is accepted, you will receive a letter to confirm your name has been added to the waiting list for an appointment.
There can be a wait between the time the referral is made and your first appointment, but how long this takes can vary. If any of your contact details change whilst waiting for an appointment, it is essential that you let us know on 028 7132 0167 to ensure we can reach you when an appointment becomes available.
If the team decide that they are not able to accept the referral, they will contact you or the referrer via telephone call or letter, to explain why.
What if I am already known to other services?
Some adults referred to our service may not be known to other health services currently.
However, other adults referred to our service may already be involved with Mental Health Services or Learning Disability (Intellectual Disability) Services. If you are known to other health services then you can continue to be supported by them. Please speak to these services directly.
Information for Referrers
The Adult ASD Service accepts referrals for adults aged 18+ for diagnostic assessment and/or support and intervention.
Referrals can be made by GP’s and other health care professionals using the referral form below that is available to download. Please complete all sections of the form, providing adequate detail, in order for the referral to be processed in a timely manner.
If your client has a learning disability (also called ‘intellectual disability’) please download and make reference to the consent toolkit.
The toolkit was designed to assist the referrer in the process of establishing consent with or for their client when referring to the Adult ASD Diagnostic Assessment Service. The toolkit provides advice and guidance regarding consent and also includes easy read information for you to share and talk through with your client.
Downloads:
The service operates a single entry point for all referrals for clients within the Western Trust area.
All referrals should be sent to:
Adult ASD Service
Old Bridge House
Glendermott Road
Londonderry
BT47 6AU
Should you require any further information regarding our referral process or have any queries please call us on 028 7132 0168.
What happens after I submit a referral?
Once the referral has been received, the team will discuss the referral information and a decision will be made regarding suitability for the waiting list.
The client may be sent a number of self-rating questionnaires that they need to complete and return which will assist with this process.
If the referral is accepted, you will receive a letter to confirm that your clients name has been added to the waiting list for an appointment.
If the team decide that they are not able to accept the referral, they will contact you via telephone call or letter, to explain why.
02871320167