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Leaving CAMHS – for 11-18 year olds

Information to help young people understand the reasons you might leave CAMHS and what to expect.

Leaving CAMHS

We might be moving on from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS, or SCAMHS in Wales). Or we might be moving onto Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS), or other mental health support.

Leaving or being discharged from CAMHS can be a really uncertain time. Especially if we′re going through other things, like:

  • Leaving or going back to school
  • Studying or exam stress
  • Relationship problems
  • Moving somewhere new, like going to university

This page should help to answer your questions about what might happen when you leave CAMHS.

More info about CAMHS

We have more information in our CAMHS hub, including what CAMHS is and what to expect. We also have information about waiting lists and your rights.

Go to CAMHS info hub

When will I leave CAMHS?

CAMHS can usually support you up to 18 years old. But CAMHS might discharge you at any age, depending on your situation. For example:

  • You've finished your treatment, like therapy. You might have had a set number of appointments. Your CAMHS team should talk to you about how you're doing and whether you′re ready for them to discharge you.
  • You're old enough to use AMHS, or nearly at that age.
  • You choose to leave. Your team will probably want to discuss this with you first.
  • You′re moving away. Like moving house or going to university.

Some CAMHS may support you until you're 25 or older. This will depend on your needs and where you live.

We spoke to young people who told us about their experience of leaving CAMHS:

I have friends who are 18 who are still with CAMHS and their treatment is better. I think it also depends on the area that you′re in.

My nurse at CAMHS has informed me once I am 18, I will be moving to adult services if I feel the need to. She assured me that they are just as helpful and supportive.

They kept me as long as they could keep me at CAMHS. There were tricky elements to it because even if you think you′re ready for it, it′s still quite a sudden shift and approach this with caution – Katie, 18

What might happen when I leave CAMHS?

CAMHS usually support young people up to 18 years old. But when you leave CAMHS, your care team should offer you at least 1 of the following options.

Discharge you

Discharge can be scary, especially if we don′t know what support we′ll get next. But it might also mean you and your care team agree things have improved.

You might not feel 100% ready to leave yet, and that's OK too.

Your care team should tell you about the other types of support available and what to do if you need more help.

You might not agree with their decision to discharge you. You can ask your care team for more information about next steps. We have more information about where to look for mental health support.

CAMHS should tell your GP when they have discharged you. They should explain what treatment or support you′ve had, including if you have a diagnosis of a mental health problem.

I was only discharged once I felt ready, and it was a decision that was discussed with me. I felt really happy to not need the support anymore – I felt I had overcome a lot!

People don′t really talk about how difficult it is to leave a therapist. They are your safe space, they are fighting in your corner and to never speak to them again is really difficult. – Chloe, 17

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If you′re under 18, you may be able to go back to CAMHS once you′ve left. This may depend on when you were discharged.

But another professional might later refer you back to CAMHS.

Direct you to other services

CAMHS might suggest other services that could help, like AMHS. But not everyone who gets support from CAMHS will transition to AMHS.

CAMHS also might suggest places that can support if we're on a waiting list for AMHS.

We might be disappointed if CAMHS direct us to other services, especially if it′s because CAMHS aren′t able to support us. But other services might be able to meet our needs in a more helpful way at this time.

Sometimes, based on your referral and finding out what support you need, the new service might say that they can′t offer you the right kind of support. If this happens, they should explain why and tell you where else you can get support.

If you′re under 18, you could look at our information on types of support options on our useful contacts page.

If you′re 18 or older, we have different information pages for adults:

We also have services to support adults, like:

Will my information be kept private?

If you′re referred to another service, CAMHS should ask for consent to share your personal information. 

Go to page about confidentiality

Transitioning to AMHS

AMHS is an example of an adult service. CAMHS should only refer you to AMHS if you're old enough.

Your CAMHS team should start planning your move to adult services at least 6 months before you leave. This is usually called a transition.

You might be on a waiting list before AMHS assess you for support.

In this section, you can find information about:

  • What happens when you′re referred to AMHS
  • The difference between CAMHS and AMHS
  • Problems and solutions for transitioning to AMHS

What should happen if I'm referred to AMHS?

If CAMHS refer us to AMHS, they should:

  • Prepare a plan of what support we need from AMHS
  • Tell us who will manage our transition, usually a care co-ordinator in England, or a transition worker in Wales
  • Ask for our consent to share our personal information

CAMHS may manage the transition differently, depending on where we live. But no matter where we live, someone should always tell us what to expect and listen to our views.

When AMHS get your referral, they′ll want to know what you′re experiencing and what support you need. They might also do the following:

  • Look at your notes. Your doctor and CAMHS team might share some of the information they have about you with AMHS.
  • Speak to your CAMHS team. They might do this to talk about and understand your needs.
  • Speak to your parents or carers. They might ask to talk to them with your consent.
  • Meet with you and listen to what support you want. You can talk with them about how you′re feeling, and what you think you need. This might be part of an assessment.

If AMHS think their service is right for you, they'll contact you to give you an appointment.

I think there must have been a conversation at some point about what I′d want from adult services. I asked for ‘trauma work’, they said ‘OK’. Then we got the referral. I thought ‘yes, that's good, they're taking me seriously.’

So 6 months before you're 18, that's when they're meant to start getting it all ready. I specifically said I didn't want a certain psychiatrist when I transferred. To be fair, they made that happen so I didn't have to see them. It was quite hurtful to feel like you're being turned away from CAMHS after being with them for over 4 years.

How are AMHS different from CAMHS?

We may find that our experience at AMHS is different from what we had at CAMHS. Here are some common differences:

  • Your relationship with your care team might be different. They might see you more or less than before. You'll also see new professionals.
  • There might be different types of treatment and support available, like individual therapy or medication.
  • You′ll be in waiting rooms or group therapy with adults of different ages, not just young people.
  • AMHS may involve your parents or carers less than CAMHS. We have more information about how involved your parents or carers might be in your care.
  • AMHS might focus on your mental health diagnosis more than CAMHS, if you have one.

Some young people we spoke to said:

With CAMHS you have more regular appointments, especially in the first stages of treatment. Whereas, with AMHS I had more infrequent appointments and they were over the phone.

Adult services are much more reliant on your opinion and decisions. The therapy, counselling and decision-making is directed by you, unlike CAMHS where they offer you ideas or advice to achieve your goals.

I was recently in CBT sessions with Adult Mental Health Services. I had 5 sessions but decided not to continue my treatment after this. The adult services included a lot of ‘homework’ and implementing habits and good practices into my daily life.

What problems could I face when transitioning to AMHS?

The move from CAMHS to AMHS can be smooth, or there might be problems. Here are some of the more common problems that you could face:

You can ask your CAMHS team about who should manage your move to AMHS. You can also ask to meet someone from the AMHS team before you move.

Ask your CAMHS team for a copy of your care plan. If there′s anything you don′t understand, you can also ask them to explain it.

You can talk to your care team to explain why you don′t agree and what you′d like to be changed.

You might be put on a waiting list before AMHS consider your referral. And if you're accepted to AMHS you may still have to wait before you get help.

You might have had similar problems with long waiting times at CAMHS. Waiting can feel frustrating and upsetting, especially if you've been getting support from CAMHS. You can find information on how to look after yourself while waiting for support.

Young people we spoke to said:

I got a letter in the post saying that I'd been accepted onto adult DBT* but it was going to be an 8-month wait.

Things didn't get worse, but in that waiting time, you're not certain if you're going to get the support you need.

Remember that it is likely to be a long wait when transitioning to adult services, but it doesn't mean you aren't important.

Tips for leaving CAMHS

Whether you're continuing to get support for your mental health, or being discharged, our tips can help you feel better about leaving CAMHS.

Ask your CAMHS team questions

There are no right or wrong questions. But the sooner you ask questions, the more prepared you might feel. You can also ask a trusted adult or advocate to support you with asking questions. Understanding what′s going on can help you feel more in control.

Here are some ideas of things you might want to ask:

  • What other mental health services or support is available in my area?
  • Can I have a copy of my care plan, or a summary of the care I′ve had?
  • Who can I talk to if I have any questions?
  • Who can I talk to if I feel my mental health is getting worse after discharge?
  • Can I be re-assessed by CAMHS if I need to? How does this work?
  • Can I be referred to adult services in the future? How do I get referred?
  • What other types of support are there?
  • Who will manage my move to AMHS? How often will I meet them?
  • Do I have a transition plan? Can I see it?
  • Which types of treatment and support might I get?
  • Can I see your policy for transitioning from CAMHS to AMHS?

Fill in a 'passport'

Before you leave CAMHS, filling in a passport helps you share what you want the people supporting you next to know. You can use it to:

  • Write down what your needs are
  • Share your experiences
  • Tell them what′s important to you

We have 2 types of passport templates:

You could share this with your doctor, a trusted adult, or another professional who′s supporting you.

Download your ‘moving on from CAMHS’ passport (Word doc opens in new tab)

If you′re in Wales, SCAMHS might give you something like this Young Person's Transition Passport. But if not, or if you′re in England, the NHS strongly recommends transition passports. You might want to use our template to help.

Download your ‘transition to AMHS’ passport (Word doc opens in new tab)

You can ask your CAMHS team to keep a copy of your passport on your records and send it to your new AMHS team. You can also keep a copy and bring it with you.

Explore other options for support

It can help to have a range of support options including services or professionals, like your GP. Or social support like friends, partners or trusted adults.

We have some ideas to help you build and keep up your support network:

  • Open up to someone you trust about how you're feeling. You could talk to them face-to-face or record a voice note. We have more information about opening up.
  • Talk to other young people who understand what you're going through. You can do this on message boards like The Mix and Childline.
  • Speak to your doctor. They can tell you about other ways to get help. We have more information about talking to your doctor.
  • Look at what help is available in your area. Like from your school, local charities and community services. For online services where you can search for local information and support, try Hub of Hope and Youth Access.
  • Think about looking for private therapy. Private therapy is a type of support that you, or a trusted adult, chooses to pay for. To find a therapist or counsellor, you can search the BACP Counselling Directory. Or ask a trusted adult to help you. Private therapy can be expensive. Some private therapists offer discounts if you're a student or on a low income, which can help.

For more information if you′re under 18, read about where to look for mental health support.

For more information if you're over 18, read our information for adults on seeking help for a mental health problem.

How to look after your wellbeing

We have lots of tips and ideas on how to take care of yourself.

Looking after your wellbeing

It helps to ensure you have a support network around you of people you can trust. Know how to be there for yourself when your mental health gets difficult. Establish strategies that work for you before you leave CAMHS.

Hear from people who left CAMHS

Hearing from other people who′ve been through similar things can help you feel less alone. You can speak to other young people on message boards online:

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If you're looking for support online, think about what you feel OK with sharing and what you want to keep private. You can find out more about online safety on the Childline website.

We spoke to some young people who shared their experiences of leaving CAMHS:

Leaving CAMHS was a big step for me. I had to learn to take care of my own mental health and become my own counsellor. It was hard at first, but it helped me become more resilient and less reliant on others to soothe me when I got stressed.

I left CAMHS when I was 18 and was moved onto another local support organisation. This process was quite hard for me, particularly because the 2 people who looked after me and were in charge of my care were both away.

The whole process was overwhelming but I'm grateful for how my team managed it. They really tried to make things as easy as possible for me.

I still think about my old therapist now, she would be proud of how far I have come, and knowing that is comforting in itself – Chloe, 17

Published: March 2026
Next review planned: March 2029

We spoke to young people who agreed to give quotes for this page. Their experiences are not related to the people shown in the photos.

References are available on request. If you want to reproduce this content, see our permissions and licensing page.

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