Child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) in Wakefield

About the service

CAMHS stands for child and adolescent mental health services. We are the NHS service that offers support and treatment for children and young people, aged up to 18 years old, who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health and wellbeing.

We also support parents, carers and families of these children and young people too.

Here in Wakefield, CAMHS is made up of several teams. Each team works in a slightly different way, and specialises in different areas, but we all work together to support children, young people and families during their journey with CAMHS.

Our teams are made up of lots of different healthcare professionals who have experience of working specifically with children and young people. This includes; nurses, social workers, psychologists, doctors, therapists and support workers.

 

What do Wakefield CAMHS help with?

Usually, when a child or young person feels sad, stressed, frightened or worried, these feelings will pass with time and with help from family, friends, teachers or other health or care professionals.

However, sometimes these feelings can go on for a very long time and start to really affect everyday life, for example; friendships, school, college and home life. When things get to this point, Wakefield CAMHS are here to help.

We help young people with some of the following problems or difficulties:

• Feelings of sadness, low mood or depression
• Obsessive thoughts and behaviours such as having to check or repeat things
• Anxiety issues, including panic attacks
• Self-harm and thoughts of hurting themselves
• Suicidal thoughts or thoughts that “I don’t want to be here anymore”
• Problems with eating and food
• Long standing difficulties with coping after a scary and traumatic event.

We also can give parents and carers of children and young people advice on how to support their child with the difficulties they are experiencing.

We work in partnership with other health and care professionals in order to meet the needs of children, young people and families as a whole. These professionals include schools, GPs and social workers.

 

How do Wakefield CAMHS help?

Professionals, parents and carers, alongside young people aged 16 and 17 can contact the Wakefield CAMHS team directly for support. Please note that a child or young person must be registered with a GP practice in Wakefield to access support from Wakefield CAMHS.

All calls or referrals are managed centrally by the CAMHS ‘Single Point of Access’ team, who are also known as ‘SPA’.

Upon contacting Wakefield CAMHS, you will speak with a friendly member of the primary intervention team. During this initial conversation, they will ask different questions to help make a plan to support you or your child.

CAMHS provide a range of support depending on what is needed. This support may include:

• Signposting to other relevant services and resources
• Group work for anxiety, low mood and self-confidence
• Solution-focused therapy and treatment
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Family work and therapy
• Child psychodynamic psychotherapy
• Art psychotherapy
• Play therapy
• Interpersonal therapy
• Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy
• Medication
• Urgent support when there is an immediate mental health risk.

Support may take place over the telephone, online or face to face.

 

Where are CAMHS in Wakefield?

CAMHS can work flexibly to support you. This means we can provide appointments via the telephone, online or face to face (including at homes and in community settings). Each appointment type and location of the appointment is planned to suit your needs. Wakefield CAMHS main bases for face to face appointments include:

Airedale Health Centre in Castleford

Wakefield CAMHS – East team
Airedale Health Centre
The Square
Fryston Road
Castleford
WF10 3JJ

Telephone: 01977 735900

 

Drury Lane Health and Wellbeing Centre in Wakefield city centre

Wakefield CAMHS- West team
Drury Lane Health and Wellbeing Centre,
Drury Lane,
Wakefield,
WF1 2TE

Telephone: 01924 316950

 

When should I contact Wakefield CAMHS?

Contacting and getting support, treatment or an appointment with the team is known as making a ‘referral’.

Most people that contact or ‘refer’ into CAMHS have already received emotional and/or mental health support from another health or care professional or service. This includes; school staff, Future in Mind staff, Children’s First Hub worker, Kooth, or another counselling service. If things haven’t improved from this initial support, CAMHS can help.

It could also be that somebody else suggests that your child might need extra help, because they’ve noticed behaviours that cause them concern. Health, care, education and other professionals can make referrals to CAMHS with your consent.

CAMHS can also help with urgent concerns regarding a child or young person who needs immediate support from a mental health professional. This has previously been known as ‘crisis’ support. However, we always encourage young people, parents, carers or health, care, education and other professionals to contact CAMHS before a concern reaches this point.

 

How to contact or ‘refer’ into Wakefield CAMHS

If you’re a professional, a young person aged 16 to 17 or a parent or carer of a child or young person under the age of 18, you can contact the Wakefield CAMHS SPA team directly:

Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm, on: 01977 735865.

You can also submit a referral online:

Refer online

 

✰ Resources to help you ✰

From self-help materials, to guidance for parents and families when supporting a child or young person, we hope this page is useful and welcome any ideas for resources which you would like to see on here.

Visit the resources page

Staff you may meet

Dietitian

Dietitians use the science of food to help people to make good choices about food and lifestyle. Nutrition is an important part of recovery and wellbeing. All service users admitted to a Trust ward have their nutritional state assessed.

Doctor

There are more than 60 different specialities that doctors work within the NHS. Each is unique but there are many characteristics which are common. Roles range from working in a hospital to being based in the community as a GP.

Non-clinical support staff

There are many people who work behind the scenes to keep services running and you may meet them in hospital or community settings. They include porters, cleaners, plumbers, electricians, decorators receptionists and secretaries who all work to make sure healthcare settings are kept clean, tidy and safe.

Nurse

Nurses who choose to specialise in the mental health branch of nursing work with GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, and others, to help care for patients. Increasingly, care is given in the community, with mental health nurses visiting patients and their families at home, in residential centres, in prisons or in specialist clinics or units.

Occupational therapist

Occupational therapy is the assessment and treatment of physical and psychiatric conditions using specific, purposeful activity to prevent disability and promote independent function in all aspects of daily life.

Other clinical staff

The NHS employs a wide range of clinical staff, it wouldn’t be possible to list them all on this website! All our clinical staff are skilled, dedicated professionals who adhere to high standards of training and work-place practice.

Psychologist

Adult psychotherapists work with people to assess and treat a range of emotional, social or mental health issues.   They help people tackle problems such as behavioural issues, common challenges such as anxiety and depression or more complex or severe issues, such as psychosis or a personality disorder diagnosis. 

Receptionist

Receptionists are the first link for many patients and visitors. They often work on their own or with one or two other receptionists, greeting patients as they arrive and check them in. They might also collect patient notes and ensure that these vital records go to the right healthcare professional. In a clinic, they may make appointments and arrange patient transport.

Social worker

Social workers help, support and protect people who are facing difficulties in their lives. They help people to take positive steps to overcome problems and improve their lives. This could involve assessing and reviewing a service user’s situation, building relationships with service users and their families and agreeing what practical support someone needs.

Support worker

Therapist

Therapy is a broad term and can range from occupational therapists to behavioural therapists. Our therapists are trained in their specialist area and type of therapy to make sure we can offer the very best care.