Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999
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This is specialist team who work with certain groups of young people under the age of 18 presenting with moderate to severe mental health symptoms. To be treated by the Outpatients (OP) Team you will have certain circumstances that means you can access their specialist service. For example, you may be struggling with your mental health to the extent that it is impacting on all of areas of your life. The team will assess which service will meet your needs based on your mental health presentation and will direct your referral to the most appropriate support service which might include CAMHS.
There are many professionals that might refer you to the OP Team. These include your doctor, paediatrician, school nurse, social worker or someone from the Mental Health Team in School. You are not able to self-refer directly to this service but talk to a trusted adult if you are struggling with your mental health.
All the teams in CAMHS are multi-disciplinary. This means that there are a wide range of specialist staff who all work with children and young people experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties.
If it’s possible for you to be there, then you will be seen at Westcotes House, the Valentine Centre which is near Leicester City Centre or Loughborough Hospital in Loughborough. You could also be seen in other NHS bases. Click here to learn more about where you might be seen by CAMHS.
Someone from CAMHS will meet with you and your family/carers. This could be a nurse, psychologist, doctor or Mental Health Practitioner. They will assess your current mental health and decide what the best way forward is for you. An assessment simply means that Mental Health Professional will talk to you and listen to you to gather information about your mental health. They will also complete some questionnaires either before or during the initial appointment. Your family or adults that support will be invited to join in this conversation. By the end of the assessment, which usually takes around 1 hour to 1 and a half hours, there will be a pathway plan. This will determine the appropriate treatment or service for you. Click here to learn more about what to expect at your first CAMHS appointment.
What happens next will depend on the outcome of the assessment. The team will create and agree an action plan with you. It may suggest further treatment by the team or referring onto a different specialist in mental health. You might be signposted to a specialist agency who operate in the area you live within or the adults that support you might be offered a place in some groups to learn new ways to help you with your mental health. Whatever the outcome of your assessment, you will have an action plan to help you. Your assessing practitioner might also speak to other people, like school or your GP or social worker to make sure they know the best way to support you. The letter you receive following your assessment will be sent to you from the Access Team.
Following your access assessment, and whilst waiting for the agreed intervention as outlined on your care plan, your Lead Professional (LP) will be from the Duty team. This team is made up of several experienced mental health clinicians: one of which will check in with you whilst you wait. They will speak to you about how you are feeling and ensure you still feel able to cope. They will be able to offer guidance as to how to manage and can share strategies that you can be using to help improve your mental health. They will check in with you at least every 6 months but possibly more regularly.
It is really important that you do speak to the Duty team whilst you wait. Reviews are usually done face to face so you will have a more personal feel to the appointments. This also allows the clinician to get to know you better and provide more tailored advice. It also lets us know that you still want to be supported by CAMHS and remain on the waiting list. If you don’t meet or speak with the Duty team, they may take you off the waiting list and potentially discharge you from CAMHS.
If you are still being supporting by CAMHS at 17 and a half, you will be linked with your Lead Professional and the transition pathway clinicians/care navigators to look at any support you might require post 18.
Who do I contact for support with my mental health?
If you need urgent mental health support, 24/7 support is available over the phone. Call NHS 111, selecting mental health crisis option 2. This number is open 24 hours a day and is totally free and confidential. You can also text 0748 063 5199. If there is an immediate threat to life, dial 999. If you are deaf and have urgent mental health needs, you can use the NHS 111 British Sign Language service: www.signvideo.co.uk/nhs111 Please note the NHS 111 line is not an emergency service. Click here for more information.
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