Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
One in ten young people will have a mental health problem that may need the help of specially trained staff. Common ones include:
depression
psychosis
eating disorders (e.g. anorexia and bulimia)
self-harm
emotional problems
Our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) treats young people up to the age of 18 years where there are concerns about their behaviour or emotional wellbeing. It also works closely with their family, carers and other people who support them.
CAMHS staff are health professionals who have had special training in child and adolescent mental health. The team includes nurses, therapists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, psychologists and primary mental health workers.
Referrals to CAMHS
Most people are referred to CAMHS by their GP or another health professional.
Young people aged 13 to 19 years can directly contact our You Count service. If you are going through a period of emotional confusion or stress, or just feeling lost with your life, You Count offers friendly, confidential support. Just phone 023 9282 1912 or 07748 933609 between 8am and 7pm Monday to Friday and ask for Nigel.
When someone has been referred we usually write to say whether we need to see just the child and parents/carers, or a broader family group.
You will be asked to ring and make a convenient appointment. Most take place during weekday office hours but we offer times after school/college or in the evenings if we can.
Appointments can be for several weeks ahead. If the problems worsen before an appointment, please let the CAMHS team know. They may be able to offer some suggestions that could help while you are waiting.
Where do we see people?
From 12 January 2009, most CAMHS services will be based at Falcon House, St James' Hospital.
The building replaces most of the CAMHS services at the Battenburg Avenue Clinic in North End and the Merlin Centre in Southsea, although the Battenburg Avenue Clinic will still be used as the office base for the Primary Mental Health Team, and as a satellite clinic for families living in the north of the city.
Until 12 January, our two main clinics are held at:
Battenburg Clinic, Battenburg Avenue, North End, Portsmouth. PO2 OTA. Tel. 023 9265 3433. Please tell us in advance if you require wheelchair access so we can organise a ground floor room.Merlin Centre, 19 Villiers Road, Southsea. PO5 2NR. Tel: 023 9282 1912. The Merlin Centre can be difficult to find. Look for Malvern Road, off Clarendon Road. We are the big house at the back of the park area.
We also meet people at home, at school, or at their GP surgery.
At your appointment
It helps us if you bring any school or other reports you have. If your child is young we suggest you also bring something for them to play with or read while you wait, and a drink and snack.
First appointments normally last between 60 and 90 minutes. You and your child will meet one or two members of CAMHS staff. We may also ask to spend some time with your child on his or her own.
This first appointment is an important chance for us to get all the information we need from you and your child so that we can work with you to agree the best course of action, e.g.:
further appointments with the young person concerned (one or two might be enough but some need weekly appointments for several weeks)
individual appointments for parents/carers
therapy groups
family therapy
medicine ( this is not common)
admitting your child to hospital ( this is rare)
referring your child to another service that will better meet their needs
The first appointment is also an important chance for you to ask any questions and make sure that you understand what is being discussed.
Follow up appointments last about an hour.
Other useful information
If you or your family need help from an interpreter, or want to bring a trusted friend with you to appointments, or want information to be shared with you in a certain way, (e.g., written to take away with you) you should let CAMHS staff know in advance so they can organise this.
You might find these websites helpful:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinformation/mentalhealthandgrowingup
Are you aged 13-19 years and emotionally confused or stressed?
You Count offers friendly, confidential support. Ring 023 9282 1912 or 07748 933609 between 8am and 7pm and ask for Nigel.
