My first visit to CAMHS

At your first appointment we will talk to you and your family about your worries and the difficulties you are having, so that we can understand what might help to make things better for you.

Where will I meet CAMHS?

At CAMHS, we mostly work in clinics or hospitals, but we can also see you at other places close to where you live - maybe at your doctors, school or even at your home. We will contact you to let you know where your first appointment will be, when it is and who you will meet. If we meet again, we will try our best to arrange your appointment at a place that suits you.

Who will come with me?

We ask you and your family/carers to come to your 1st appointment and we like to talk to you all, so that we can better understand the difficulties you are having and how we might be able to help. If you visit us again, sometimes we might talk to you alone, sometimes we might just speak to your parents/carers, or sometimes everyone together; this will depend on what we agree is best for you and what you prefer.

Who will I see?

There are lots of different people working at CAMHS, and we are all specially trained in helping children and young people that have mental health needs. People who access our services are welcome to talk to the Team Manager if they are experiencing any problems with their care.

  • Therapists at CAMHS have different professional backgrounds; they might be nurses, social workers, teachers or counsellors. They help families to understand more than one side of a problem. They will talk to you and help you find ways of coping with the problems you are having.
  • Psychologists are trained to understand how children think and learn. They can help with the way you behave and the way you feel and think about things.
  • Psychiatrists are doctors who are trained to work with people that are having problems with how they think, feel or behave. Part of their job is to decide if a person needs medicine to help them; you would only be given medicine if the doctor felt that it was the best option for you.
  • L.D. nurses help children with learning disabilities and their family/carers. They give focused support to improve a child's wellbeing and quality of life.
  • Support workers. Some teams may have support workers, who work alongside other CAMHS professionals and help with day-today issues to support children and their family/carers.

If you would like this information in another format, please speak to a member of CWP staff or e-mail cwp.info@nhs.net. 
For more information about CWP CAMHS check out www.mymind.org.uk 

Oct 2016, Version 1