CAMHS

What is CAMHS?

CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). The team is made up of a Counselling Psychologist and Clinical Psychologist who are employed by the NHS.

Support Offered

The CAMH service is a consent-based service so we will always make sure you agree before a referral is made. We understand that families may be worried about being referred to CAMHS and may have lots of questions about the service, which we are more than happy to answer.

This service is available to all children who are being supported by Victoria Drive PRU, as well as families and professionals involved. Clinicians can offer sessions with children, families, and parents/carers. To get the best help for your child, we also work closely with schools and other professionals involved. We can work with a range of presenting difficulties including low mood, anxiety as well as difficulties related to stressful experiences. The kinds of thing we can offer include:

• In depth assessment and neurodevelopmental screening for ASD/ADHD and cognitive assessments
• A range of interventions aimed at supporting emotional wellbeing and social development
• Attendance at professional and network meetings
• In school training, advice, and consultation
• Reflective practice groups for staff

Waiting times

We do not have a waiting list and aim to respond quickly after a referral has been received. There might be a slight delay however before you/ your child can be seen.

How does my child get referred?

The child’s lead teacher at the PRU will initiate a referral following consultation with the child’s parent/carer. Once a referral has been made to CAMHS, one of the team will give you a call to introduce themselves and together agree on a time to meet. In the first meeting the CAMHS worker will ask questions so they can start to think with you about what support might be needed for your child/ family. We understand that families may be worried about being referred to CAMHS and may have lots of questions about the service, which we are more than happy to answer.