A guide on what to expect when moving from child to adult mental health services, and what do do if things don't go the way they should.
Moving from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services can be a really difficult time, especially as there might be a lot of other changes going on for you right now.
Here are some tips that might make things a little easier and feel better supported:
Young people have told us that you can sometimes see lots of different health professionals when moving from CAMHS to adult services. This can be hard if you have to keep telling your story and explaining what you need to new people.
It might help to write down what you want the people who support you to know, like:
You can share this with your CAMHS team and ask them to keep a copy on your records so that it can be sent to any new people working with you.
"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."
When moving to adult services, it's important to have as much support around you as possible. This can be from your friends, family or trusted professionals like your CAMHS team, teachers or social workers.
For ideas on taking care of yourself, visit Childline's page on things you can try when you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed.
Speaking to others who have been through similar experiences can be really helpful. They might be able to give you advice or just help you to feel like you're not alone in this.
If you don't know anyone, Childline and The Mix have message boards where you can ask questions, share thoughts and ask others about their experiences.
Moving to adult services can be a really difficult time so it's really important to be kind to yourself. It might help to:
These are services that support young people with their mental health. You may also hear them called Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS).
See our page on CAMHS for more information.
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.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryThis is a type of talking therapy with a trained counsellor. Counselling can help you:
It may be face-to-face, over the phone or over video call.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryThis information was published in June 2019. We will revise it in 2022.
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