What is CAMHS? – for 11-18 year olds

Psychologists can assess our mental health. They can also give us different types of therapy, like talking therapies. There are lots of types of psychologists, but at CAMHS they′re most likely to be a clinical psychologist.

We might also meet assistant, trainee or clinical associate psychologists. They′re all supervised by a trained psychologist. They can help with things like assessments, taking notes or delivering talking therapy.

They might ask for your consent to record or write about your therapy. You can ask questions about this and say no if you don′t feel comfortable.

Clinical psychologists need to be legally registered. You can check if they′re with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).

You might hear some psychotherapists or counsellors being called therapists. They′re usually trained in specific talking therapies, like CBT or counselling.

They might work with us for a set number of sessions or over a certain period of time.

Don't worry if you're finding it hard to remember the names of the roles and what each person does. There can be a lot of overlap between jobs. Psychologists and psychotherapists might just have a different background in their training or education for example.

Family therapists are sometimes called ‘systemic therapists’. They might offer therapy sessions that we’ll attend with:

• Our family
• The people we live with
• The people closest to us, like guardians or other people who care for us

They might talk with you all together, or by yourself in some parts of the session.

They can help you to:

• Talk about difficult things you might be going through together
• Look at ways you can understand each other better
• Find new ways to communicate with and support each other

A creative therapist uses art to help us express our thoughts and feelings. We might hear them called ‘art therapists’. Sometimes their job title is named after the type of art they use, like a music or drama therapist.

They might also encourage us to try creative activities to help us feel better. Like painting, dancing, acting or writing. These can also help us boost our confidence and self-esteem.

Art, music and drama therapists legally need to be on the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) register.

Play therapists don′t need to be registered legally. But they can be registered by the British Association of Play Therapists or Play Therapy UK.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specialises in mental health. We might hear them called ‘consultants’ or ‘consultant psychiatrists’.

Psychiatrists can diagnose us with a mental health problem. They can tell us about treatments that might suit us. They can also prescribe medication. For more information about medication, visit the YoungMinds website.

Psychiatrists legally need to be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC).

I really felt cared for at CAMHS, particularly by my psychiatrist – she consistently asked for my input and made sure I understood and was happy with my care plan, plus advocated for me throughout. I truly felt seen and that she had a genuine interest in my wellbeing – Evan, age 18

A CAMHS practitioner is usually a trained and registered professional. They might give us therapy. Or they might support us in other ways, like co-ordinating our care or doing assessments.

CAMHS practitioners might include:

• Mental health nurses
• Social workers
• Occupational therapists
• Therapists

Or they might have another specific role. You can ask them if you′re not sure.

Mental health nurses have training in mental and physical health nursing. We might hear them called ‘psychiatric nurses’.

They can check our mental and physical health. If they′re a ‘nurse prescriber’, they can also prescribe medication.

Nurses legally need to be on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register.

Social workers can support us and the people who look after us, like our family or guardians. A big part of their job is to help keep us safe.

Social workers can:

• Help if we're in care or at risk of abuse – for more information, visit the Childline website
• Support us with mental health problems
• Work with us, and the people we live with, if we′re going through something difficult at home

Social workers must legally be registered with Social Work England (SWE) or Social Care Wales (SCW).

Occupational therapists help us with everyday things, like:

• Looking after ourselves, like managing our hygiene and making sure we eat well
• Doing things we enjoy, like socialising and hobbies
• Other activities, like going to school or work

They can help us learn, develop skills or problem solve.

Occupational therapists legally need to be registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).

Care co-ordinators are our main contact if we′re getting treatment and support at CAMHS. They should keep in close contact with us and answer any questions. They might be someone we′ve met before, like a CAMHS practitioner or therapist. We might also hear them called’ keyworkers’.

Your care co-ordinator can answer questions about leaving CAMHS and moving to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS).

In Wales, there is a separate role for this, called a ‘transition worker’, or sometimes called a ‘care and treatment plan co-ordinator’.

Care-co-ordinators or transition workers can also help us make a transition passport. We have more information about how to create a transition passport, with a template you can use.

My care co-ordinator stayed with me through my whole experience with CAMHS, so it was nice to have someone stay by my side as my other care practitioners changed.

Administrators or receptionists might be the first people we speak to on the phone or meet at CAMHS. They can:

• Organise or change appointments
• Answer questions about waiting times
• Contact the person who manages our care

They should also help you with any questions you have or put you in touch with someone in the service who can help.