British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy
The first step to getting help from CAMHS is usually that you will be referred for a CAMHS assessment. This referral can come from your parents/carers, a teacher, GP, or yourself if you are old enough (depending on where you live).
Your child might benefit from seeing a psychologist if: You think your child might have a condition that affects his learning or neurology, such as ADHD, a learning disorder, or autism spectrum disorder. Your child needs support to manage emotional or behavior problems.
The best way to start the process of being referred to CAMHS is to go and see your child’s GP to discuss your concerns. We advise this because the GP will be able to work out if CAMHS is the right service for you. Some referrals to CAMHS are also made by other professionals, such as health visitors.
A mental health crisis is when you feel at breaking point, and you need urgent help. You might be: feeling extremely anxious and having panic attacks or flashbacks. feeling suicidal, or self-harming.
When to seek help Eastman says you should be concerned if your child : Has problems in multiple areas of life, such as family relationships, academic performance, leisure activities and friendships. Starts feeling bad about himself or herself, less confident or less effective. Shows excessive worry about the future.
Symptoms of anxiety in children finding it hard to concentrate. not sleeping, or waking in the night with bad dreams. not eating properly. quickly getting angry or irritable, and being out of control during outbursts. constantly worrying or having negative thoughts. feeling tense and fidgety, or using the toilet often.
You’re most likely to see a psychologist if you or your child needs: counselling to help with life’s problems including grief, trauma or relationship issues. educational and developmental assessment and support to help with learning difficulties, disorders like ADHD and difficult behaviour, or social skills.
Child Psychologists help children and young people with a range of mental and behavioural problems – including everything from depression and anxiety, to phobias, trauma, and aggression.
For behavior problems, you’ll want to consult a mental health professional who can help diagnose and treat behavior disorders. You can consult a behavioral psychologist who specializes in children and adolescents, a child psychiatrist or a social worker with expertise in treating young people.
(1) AGE RANGE Specialist CAMHS will accept referrals of children and young people up until their 18th birthday. There are joint adult mental health (AMHS)/ CAMHS referral pathways for young people aged 16/17 years who have more serious psychiatric disorder.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service ( CAMHS ) Pathway. If the child or young person has mental health difficulties in addition to signs of autism , they may be assessed and receive a diagnosis through the CAMHS pathway.
We might ask you about home life, school, friends, and the kind of things you like doing, and any challenges or problems . It is often important for parents and carers to be included in this discussion, but there will also be time for you to talk alone with your CAMHS clinician, if you’d like to.
Seek immediate medical care or take your child to the emergency room for a mental health assessment if: Your child has attempted or is threatening suicide or other forms of self-harm such as cutting. Your child is hurting or threatening to hurt others.
Talking with someone experiencing a mental health crisis When someone is acutely unwell with mental illness they could be feeling suicidal, experiencing severe anxiety, reacting to a life problem, having a psychotic episode – or a combination of all of these symptoms.
The legal definition of ‘disability’ is far wider than you might think. This means that you might be protected by the Equality Act if you have a mental health condition. It also means that your employer must not discriminate against you and will be required to provide reasonable adjustments for your condition.