in England, you simply phone the family practitioner/GP/doctor, get an appointment, if you can, and they'll give you pills that day.

if you want to see a psychiatrist or a therapist, the rules say you should be seen within six weeks, but this is usually 3-4 months, on average, if you're considered mild-to-moderate. If you want anything more than an evaluation/diagnosis, such as therapy, you'll be lucky if you get any. CBT, etc: you could be waiting 18 months, if you ever get it. Most people don't.

We have a chronic underfunding issue in mental health services in England, and the NHS has devised a new form of out-patients services called "Recovery Colleges" (or campus). Basically, you can self refer to access services: art classes, creative writing stuff, laughter therapy, comedy classes, etc, and a "peer support programme" in an attempt to provide some type of service, but there is still no real therapy offered, just ways to waste your time and fill up the day and keep you connected to other people.

voluntary sector services try to fill the gap, and there are a few no/low cost counselling (Rogerian) schemes, but they have long waiting lists.

In terms of crisis: mental health services in England are currently running at 100% occupancy in some areas, and bed managers are, every morning, trying to work out who's the least sick person on the ward they can discharge to free up a bed. Where I am in England, if someone goes AWOL from their ward, their bed WILL be slept in that night by an emergency patient -- it's that bad.