Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

CAMHS in Herefordshire are provided by joint Health and Social Services Teams. They operate from three bases in Hereford as well as seeing children and their families in their homes.

REFERRAL POINTS

For children under 5 years of age
CAMHS Under 5 Provision
C/o Child Development Centre
Ross Rd
Hereford
HR2 7RL
Tel 01432 356438

For children and young people 5 to 17 years of age
Gaol St Health Centre
Gaol St
Hereford
HR11 2HU
Tel 01432 378910

For children with learning disabilities
Paediatric Therapy Team (NHS) / Children with Disability Team (Social Services)
1 Ledbury Rd
Hereford
HR1 2SX
Tel 01432 359785

WHO CAN REFER TO CAMHS

Herefordshire CAMHs teams accept referrals for assessment from :

• Health Service
  GP’s, Hospital Consultants and Community Paediatricians, Health Visitors and School Nurses

• Social Services
  Social Workers and Youth Offending Team

• Education
  Head Teachers, Specialist Educational Services, Educational services, Educational Psychology

• Voluntary Sector
  CLD Youth Counselling Trust (link 10iii)

REFERRAL GUIDELINES

• All referrals should be made in writing. Discussion by phone welcomed where an urgent response is needed or there is doubt over the appropriateness of the referral

• Referrals should be made with the age approriate consent of the child or young person under all circunstances (unless a Mental Health Act assessment is required) and with the agreement of the parents wherever possible

• Children may be referred up to the age of 18. Young people over 16 who have left school may also be accepted by adult mental health services (link to CMHT)

• All referrals are discussed at a weekly allocation meeting held at Gaol St, Hereford, with the aim of allocation to the discipline most appropriate to the childs needs.

  
  

Emergency Assessment
Children and young people with following symptoms will be seen within 2 working days at the request of a GP or Social Worker who has seen the patient and made an assessment.
- Life threatening symptoms
- psychosis.

The following categories of patient are always accepted for treatment:
- Psychosis
- Depression
- Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
- Obsessional Compulsive Disorder
- Severe Anxiety
- Eating Disorders
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorders
- Autistic Spectrun Disorder within normal intelligence range

Categories which may be taken on if there is evidence base for intervention
- Encopresis
- Enuresis
- Anxious school non-attendance
- Personality problems

Referrals not taken on
- Substance and alcohol misuse
- Conduct Disorders over age 13
- Development Disorders without psychiatric disorder
- Young people with learning disability
- Young people over 16 who have left school (refer to adult MH Service)

REFERRAL NOTES

Our aim is to assess routine new referrals within six weeks. Following assessment, patients needing further treatment are put on a treatment waiting list. CAMHS only takes children with severe mental health problems where there is an evidence base for treatment. Children with significant difficulties may therefore not be offered treatment following assessment.