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Community Mental Health Team: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team is a group of professionals who all have specialised skills in working with children/young people and their families who are experiencing difficulties.

The CAMHS team sees children and young people and their families with a wide range of difficulties.
Its aim is always to help children and young people and their families understand about the factors that lead to mental health problems and help make sure that these factors do not lead to further difficulties.

Members of the team include a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, a Clinical Psychologist, Child and Adolescent Nurses, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Workers. The team also work jointly with statutory and voluntary children or young people’s services to help and support a wide range of difficulties.

Any professional with concerns about a child or young person’s psychological or emotional functioning is invited to discuss their concerns with the CAMHs team in the first instance.

Moving from CAMHS to adult services

Some young people need to move from CAMHS to adult mental health services when they reach a certain age, usually 18 years. Planning should begin 3-6 months before this is due to happen.

Transition to adult services can be big change. The CAMHS nurse will help the teenager arrange an appointment with adult mental health services, and come along with them to support the transition.

The teenager will have an assessment with both CAMHS and the adult services to decide what kind of help can be provided. The CAMHS worker will help the teenager through the process of moving from one service to the other.

If a child or young person is well enough to leave CAMHS without moving into adult services, the CAMHS nurse will help the young person to make a plan so that they know what to do if help is ever needed again.

Referral

Referrals to the CAMHS team are accepted from a GP, Paediatrician, Social Worker, Educational Psychologist, Medical Staff, Education Staff and the Children’s Reporter. Generally, any professional can refer if they have concerns about a child’s psychological or emotional functioning.

In all cases, referrals should be fully discussed with the young person and their family, with all in agreement. The child’s GP will also be made aware of the referral.