CAMHS Referral Information for
Young People and Families
This guidance has been designed for young people and families thinking of referring themselves to CAMHS. Most people experience normal ups and downs with their mental health. So first of all you might want to have a look at the information in this website.
There are many local services that help and support young people with their mental health and wellbeing needs.
School Nursing Service; who provide health and wellbeing support to children and young people aged 5-18 years.
Low Level Mental Health Support in Schools, youth information workers provide counselling within schools across Dumfries and Galloway to support young people from P6 – S6.
Educational Psychology Service; our role is to apply psychology and research evidence to improve the educational experiences and outcomes for all children and young people.
Barnardo’s Hear4U Advocacy Support in Schools Service this gives children and young people the opportunity to speak to someone independent about their worries or uncertainties so that they can get some support on how to overcome them in a positive way.
Youth Work Services Live Blether Chat: you can chat to a youth worker online about anything that is on your mind or bothering you.
Before I refer to CAMHS
- Remember that CAMHS is a specialist NHS provision offering a service for children and young people who are experiencing persistent, mental health difficulties that are significantly affecting their day-to-day life.
- If you are a young person, have you talked to a Parent/Carer, Teacher, Youth Worker, School Nurse or GP?
- If you are a Parent or Carer and your child is 12 years and over, have you got their consent for making this referral?
Self-Referring to CAMHS
CAMHS accepts referrals from anyone who knows the child / young person, including self-referrals.
If you are over 12 years old, you may want to refer yourself. Or you can ask a parent / carers / professional to make a referral for you, but you will need to give your permission for this. You should fill out our Self Referral Form with as much information as you can. If you are under 12 years old then a parent/carer/professional will need to complete the referral with you.
Once we receive your referral, you will then receive a letter to invite you to contact the service to arrange an initial discussion appointment with a CAMHS clinician.
At this appointment you and the clinician will have a discussion and a shared agreement of what the next steps might be.
This might include:
- A mental health assessment
- Signposted to other services