The Getting Help part of Doncaster’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service is designed to support children and young people whose mental and emotional health needs are considered to be more complex and/or enduring.
An initial consultation may have already been completed and brief therapeutic support offered however, the child’s needs are such that they require additional support to address their mental and emotional well-being. A more in-depth assessment of the child or young person’s mental health may be required and this will be undertaken by an experienced CAMHS Practitioner with the young person and their parent or carer.
It is also likely that the Practitioner will need to liaise with professionals and agencies including education and health however permission will be sought from the young person and their family before contact with other agencies is made.
In some cases, where Social Care are involved, it may also be necessary to discuss any concerns with the child’s Social Worker however again, it is best practice for the CAMHS Practitioner to discuss this with the child and their family in the first instance.
Following assessment, the CAMHS Practitioner will work alongside the child and their parent to establish a plan of care and this will be based on a formulation of the child’s needs. The care plan may involve direct work between the young person and the CAMHS Practitioner and may also include an internal referral for specialist support such as cognitive behavioural therapy or art therapy, for example.