Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS)

This is a team of people with different training and skills (psychologists, child psychiatrists, social workers, family therapists, community psychiatric nurses and psychotherapists for example) who work together to help young people, their families or carers when they are worried about a child or young person’s emotional well being. The clinic sees lots of young people for lots of different reasons - maybe they aren’t eating enough, or maybe too much, perhaps they have problems sleeping, or they have so many worries that it stops them enjoying their life or makes them depressed.

The clinic is also there to help workers for Children, Schools and Families, carers and families think about how best to care for children to make sure that their emotional well being is thought about. You may find that someone from the clinic meets with the staff in your children’s home, with your foster carer or your social worker to help them think about how best to care for you.

In some parts of the county you will find that there is a special team of people within the service who work specifically with young people in care and their family and carers. For Hertfordshire, you should find that young people in care are seen quickly as The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service is very aware that it needs to make it easy for young people in care to access their services and that there may be special difficulties to do with living away from their families.

If someone suggests to you that it is a good idea for you to go to see someone at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, you could always ask them why they are suggesting it.  Many children that are cared for by Children, Schools and Families have had difficult times in their lives. It is not surprising if they feel confused. Going to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, does not mean you are mad, or that anyone else thinks you are.