Treatment and support glossary – for 11-18 year olds

Admitted

This means going to a hospital, clinic or another service to get treatment and support for your mental health.

If you’re admitted to hospital, you might go in as:

• An outpatient
• A day patient
• An inpatient

Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS)

These are NHS services that support adults with mental health problems.

Advocate

Advocates can help you speak up about things that are important to you. And help make sure your voice is heard.

In some situations, you will have a legal right to have an advocate. This is called statutory advocacy.

Even if you don’t have a right to an advocate, there are other types of advocacy that can help you get your voice heard.

See our page on advocacy for more information.

Approved mental health professional (AMHP)

This is a specially trained social worker or nurse. They're responsible for arranging Mental Health Act Assessments. They’re also responsible for admitting you to hospital if you’re sectioned.

Care and Treatment Plan (CTP)

This a support package provided by the NHS if you live in Wales and have a mental health problem.

Care co-ordinator

This is your main point of contact if you’re having ongoing treatment and support for your mental health. They should keep in close contact with you and answer any questions you have.

Care order

This when a court gives a local authority the power to make decisions about a child.

The local authority will normally make decisions with your parents or carers. But if they’re worried about your wellbeing or safety, they can make decisions without them.

Care plan

This is a plan that explains:

• Your mental health problem
• What treatment and support you need
• Who will provide that support

They might also cover what should happen if you're in a mental health crisis.

There are different types of plans, such as a Care Programme Approach (CPA) or Care and Treatment Plan (CTP). Whatever type of plan you have, you should always be given a copy of it.

Care Programme Approach (CPA)

This is a way of providing NHS support for people in England who have a mental health problem. It means you should have a care co-ordinator and a care plan.

Care team

These people look after you when you're getting treatment and support for a mental health problem. Your care team might include nurses, doctors and therapists.

They may look after you in hospital, at home or support you through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

These are services that can support you with your mental health. 

You might see them called different names sometimes, but they offer the same thing:

• In Wales, they're called Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (SCAMHS).
• In England and Wales, you might also hear them called Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS).

Find out more in our CAMHS information hub.

Child services

This is a department of social services that looks after children and young people’s social care. They’re run by a local authority. You may also hear them called children and young people’s services.

Child services can:

• Review your care needs
• Support your parents or carers
• Support you if you have a disability or special educational needs
• Help protect you from harm, like domestic abuse

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

This is a type of talking therapy with a trained therapist. It can help you look at your thinking patterns and behaviours, to help you find new ways of coping.

CBT may be face-to-face, over the phone or over video call. 

Community Treatment Order (CTO)

This is when you’ve been discharged from hospital but you still need to follow certain rules. For example, taking medication or seeing your doctor. If you become unwell or don’t follow these rules, you could be brought back to hospital.

You can only be put on a CTO if you’ve been on certain sections, like 3 or 37.

See our page on being sectioned for information about the different sections.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is about keeping your information private.

It means that when you talk to professionals they shouldn’t tell anyone else what you’ve said.

They will only share what you tell them in certain situations. For example, if you ask them to or if they’re worried that you or someone else could be in danger.

See our page on confidentiality for more information.

Consent

This is when you agree to something, like going into hospital or having treatment.

You can’t consent to something unless you are competent to (if you’re 15 or below), or you have capacity (if you’re 16 or above).

Being competent or having capacity means that you understand what you’re consenting to and what might happen if you say yes or no to it.

Council

Or local council. This is the group of people responsible for certain services in your area, like social care and education.

Counselling

This is a type of talking therapy with a trained counsellor. Counselling can help you:

• Talk through a problem or situation that is negatively affecting your mental health
• Recognise how it affects you
• Work out positive coping strategies or ways to make the situation better

It may be face-to-face, over the phone or over video call.

Counsellor

Counsellors listen to you and give you a safe space to explore how you’re thinking, feeling and behaving.

They can help you talk through problems or situations that are affecting you, and help you find ways to cope.

You may hear the terms counsellor or therapist used, but they mean the same thing.

Creative therapies

This means using things like music, drawing, painting, dancing, drama or playing games to express your thoughts and feelings.

It can also mean doing creative activities to improve your wellbeing and confidence. For example, writing or acting out stories with other young people.

You might take part in creative therapies in a group or by yourself.

Detained

This is when you are kept somewhere, like in hospital, even if you haven’t agreed to it. This only happens if you’re very unwell and professionals think you might be a risk to yourself or others. 

In mental health hospitals, you could be detained using a law called the Mental Health Act 1983. This is also called being sectioned.

See our page on being sectioned for more information.

Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)

This is a type of talking therapy. You might have this if you feel emotions very intensely or find it difficult to manage them. The aim is to help you:

• Understand and accept difficult feelings
• Challenge negative coping strategies
• Learn new ways to manage your feelings

You might take part in DBT by yourself or in a group.

Discharge

This means your treatment at a hospital, clinic or other service is ending. You may be discharged because:

• You’ve completed your treatment
• You’re old enough to use a different service
• You’ve asked to leave
• The next part of your treatment needs to continue somewhere else

Your care team should explain what this means, and what will happen if you need care in the future.

Discharge summary

This is a report completed by your care team when you are discharged from hospital. It should explain any diagnosis you have and summarise the care and treatment you’ve had in hospital.

Discrimination

Discrimination is when someone treats you differently or unfairly because of:

• Your age
• Your disability
• Your gender
• Your gender identity
• Your sexuality
• Your relationship status
• Your religion or beliefs
• Your race, skin colour or where you were born
• Being pregnant or having a child

In the UK, a law called the Equality Act protects you from discrimination.

Equality Act 2010

This is the law that protects you from discrimination and gives you the right to challenge it.

The Equality Act says you have a disability if you have a physical or mental health problem that has a substantial, negative and long-term effect on your life.

Group therapy

This means being part of a group of young people who attend therapy sessions together. It can be helpful as being with other young people may help you to understand what you’re going through.

Group therapy is led by a psychologist or therapist. It often combines different types of therapy, like talking therapy or creative therapy.

You might attend group therapy as your main therapy. Or you might have treatment and support on your own as well.

Guardianship

When you're unwell, this is when someone is appointed to be your guardian instead of you being sectioned and kept in hospital. Your guardian is someone other than your parent or carer.

Your guardian can help make sure you get support for your mental health outside of hospital. They can also make certain decisions about you. For example, they can decide where you live or make sure you go to important appointments.

You can only be put on a guardianship if you’re 16 or above and it’s essential for your safety or someone else’s.

Hospital managers

Hospital managers are responsible for using the Mental Health Act 1983 in hospitals.

If you’re sectioned and you want your section to end, you can ask the hospital managers. They will meet and consider your case. They can decide to end your section even if your main doctor doesn’t agree.

Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA)

An IMHA can help you:

• Understand your rights under the Mental Health Act 1983
• Understand any medical treatment you’re having or might have
• With practical things, like attending meetings or seeing your medical records

See our page on advocacy for more information about IMHAs.

Informal patient

You may also hear this being called voluntary patient. It means that you, or someone who looks after you, agree for you to stay in hospital to get treatment and support for your mental health.

See our page on being an informal patient for more information.

Inpatient care

This is the care you get when you’re staying in hospital. You might be an informal patient or you might be sectioned. You might also be having treatment and support for your physical health.

See our pages on being an informal patient or being sectioned for more information.

Local authority

This is the local government for where you live. They provide services such as health services, social services, schools, transport and housing.

Each local government decides how services are run. This means that some services in different areas may have different rules.

Medical history

Health professionals who look after you can see your medical history. This helps them to give you good care and understand your needs. Your medical history includes details of:

• How you’ve felt in the past
• Any physical or mental health problems you’ve had
• If you’ve seen health professionals before and why
• Any treatments or medications you’ve had
• If you’ve ever been to hospital before

Mental Health Act Assessment

This is when a group of health professionals meet with you to see if you need to go into hospital to get treatment and support for your mental health. If they all agree that you need to go into hospital, you could be sectioned. You may also hear this called an assessment.

Mental Health Act 1983

This is a law in England and Wales. It means that you can be sectioned if you have a mental health problem and need treatment in hospital to keep you safe.

Mental Health Tribunal (MHT)

This is a special court that you can apply to when you’re sectioned. The tribunal decides whether your section can end. They can also give advice about things like hospital leave, hospital transfers and Community Treatment Order (CTO)s.

In England, the tribunal is called the Mental Health Tribunal. In Wales, the tribunal is called the Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales.

When you have a tribunal hearing, three people make the decisions. These include:

• A judge
• A doctor
• Someone with experience and expertise in that area of mental health, usually a social worker or nurse

Nearest relative

This is a family member who has certain responsibilities for you if you're sectioned or on a Community Treatment Order (CTO).

You nearest relative should usually be told if you’re going to be sectioned. They can also:

• Say no to you being sectioned under a section 3
• Be given information about your treatment
• Ask for your section to end if you're on a section 2 or section 3

You can’t choose who your nearest relative is. The Mental Health Act 1983 sets out a list of people who it can be. It’s usually the person who is highest up on this list:

• Your mum or dad (usually whoever is oldest)
• Your brother or sister (if they’re over 18)
• Your grandparent
• Your uncle or aunt

Occupational rehabilitation therapy

This is a type of treatment with a trained therapist. It can help you build your confidence and skills in things like self-care, going to or remaining in work or study, or hobbies.

Personal information

This is any information that can be used to identify you. For example, your name, address or your IP address.

Policy

This is a document that sets out how an organisation will act in certain situations.

For example, a transition policy should explain how an organisation will manage you leaving their service.

Psychiatric hospital

This is a hospital where you go to get treatment and support for your mental health.

Psychiatrist

This is a medical doctor that specialises in mental health. Psychiatrists can:

• Carry out assessments of your mental health
• Decide with you which treatments to try, including medication
• Be your therapist for a treatment, like group therapy

Psychologist

Psychologists can assess your mental health and help you to explore how you’re thinking, feeling and behaving.

There are different types of psychologists, like clinical psychologists or occupational psychologists.

Referral

This is a request to a service which asks them to review:

• How you’re feeling
• What support you need

The referral helps explain to the new service why they should see you and what the best way to help you might be.

Sometimes referrals can be made by yourself, a family member or social worker. But they’re often made by your doctor as they understand your medical history.

Responsible clinician (RC)

This is the doctor in charge of your care if you’re sectioned.

Only your responsible clinician can make certain decisions, such as giving you leave from the ward. They’re also the only person in your care team who can end your section.

See our guide on being sectioned for more information.

Restrictive interventions

When you’re in hospital for your mental health, staff can use something called restrictive interventions. These should be used to protect yourself and others. And they should only be used if there is a serious risk of harm.

Restrictive interventions might include:

• Physically holding you to stop you hurting yourself or someone else
• Giving you medication to calm you down quickly
• Taking you away from situations which are upsetting you
• Removing you from other young people on the ward for a long time

When staff use restrictive interventions, they must follow special rules. These include:

• They must only be for the shortest time possible
• You should be kept safe throughout
• You must be treated with respect
• They must be written down in your notes

If you feel that staff aren’t following the rules, you can make a complaint. See our information on understanding complaints and making a complaint.

Rights

Rights generally exist to protect and help us. If you have a right or the rights to something in everyday life, it means you're entitled to have it or do it.

Our rights are often set out in laws, like the Equality Act 2010. Sometimes, rights might be set out in other policies and guidelines.

Some rights can never lawfully be taken away from us. However, sometimes another law can interfere with or restrict our rights. For example, if we are arrested or sectioned.

For more information, see our page on your rights.

Risk assessment

A member of your care team in hospital can use a risk assessment to consider the risks and benefits to you of doing or having something. For example, the risks and benefits of leaving the hospital for a short time.

Sectioned

Being sectioned means that you’re kept in hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983.

There are different types of sections, that have different rules to keep you safe.

The length of time that you can be kept in hospital depends on which section you are on.

See our page on being sectioned for more information.

Section 117 aftercare

If you’ve been sectioned under section 3, 37, 47 or 48, you have a legal right to support called section 117 aftercare.

Section 117 support will be personal to you. It depends on what support you need to stop your mental health from getting worse. Your right to support doesn't end until your care team agree that you no longer need that support.

See our page on being sectioned for information about the different sections.

Section 17 leave

When you're sectioned, your main doctor might give you permission to have time away from the ward. This is called section 17 leave. But you might just hear this being called leave.

Your doctor might set conditions or rules for your leave, like only being allowed to go out with a parent or carer.

Social worker

A social worker can support you and your family to work through different problems together. Their job is to keep you safe from harm. Some focus on different areas, like mental health or safeguarding.

Statutory advocate

In some situations, you have a legal right to support from an advocate. This is called statutory advocacy.

For example, if you’re sectioned in hospital, you have the right to an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA).

See our page on advocacy for more information about statutory advocacy.

Talking therapies

These involve talking with a professional about your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. There are many types of talking therapies, such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). You usually take part for an agreed length of time or number of sessions.

Therapist

This is a trained professional who runs or supervises your therapy. Therapists help you explore how you’re thinking, feeling and behaving, and what can help you in the future.

You may hear the terms therapist or counsellor used, but they mean the same thing.

Therapy

This is treatment that aims to help improve your mental health and wellbeing. There are lots of different types of therapies. Here are some common ones you might have heard of:

• Talking therapies
• Creative therapies
• Ecotherapy
• Medication

Transition

This is when you move from a children’s service to an adult service. For example, you might move from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS).

See our page on moving to adult services for more information.

Voluntary patient

You're a voluntary patient when you, or someone who looks after you, agree for you to stay in hospital to get treatment and support for your mental health. This is sometimes called being an informal patient.

See our page on being an informal patient for more information.

Ward

This describes the area of the hospital you're staying in. You may also hear it called a unit.