Primary Mental Health Workers in CAMHS Team

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Primary Mental Health Workers in CAMHS Team

• Helen Hipkiss
• CAMHS Manager Walsall
• SHA/NIMHE Development Lead
• Thanks to Dr. G. Urquhart Law

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National Context

• Prevalence of emotional behavioural disorders
  is increasing.
• Concern about inability of specialist child and
  adolescent mental health services to meet growing
  need and demands.
• Results lengthy waiting lists, unmet need,
  deterioration in mental well-being, huge costs to
  services and children and families.

3
Local Context

• Estimated 11,000 children (0-16) in Walsall
  suffer with emotional and behavioural disorders
  (varying severity) (CAMHS Strategy, 2003).
• Lengthy waiting lists for designated routine
  referrals.
• Population burden of mental health falls at Tier
  1.
• Sure Start Evaluation of needs.

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Tiered Structure of CAMHS
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Governments View of Tier 1

• Identify mental health difficulties early in
  their development.
• Offer advice.
• Stem the flow of referrals.
• Reduce stigmatisation.
• Reduce social exclusion.
• Prevent continuation of mental health
  difficulties into adult life and into next
  generation.

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But

• Much of the good quality work of Tier 1
  professionals goes unrecognised and unsupported.
• Tier 1 professionals in a prime position to
  assess, identify and manage (or refer) child,
  adolescent and family mental health need ? key to
  a comprehensive CAMHS.

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So

• Moving into Tier 1 is, therefore, the major
  priority for CAMHS, if the majority of mental
  health needs in children, young people and their
  families are to be met.

Primary Mental Health Workers for CAMHS
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Where we want to be

• CAMHS to be more available and accessible to Tier
  1 staff and children/families.
• Mental health needs of children and families to
  be met in the most appropriate, timely and
  effective way.
• Services to be culturally and demographically
  sensitive, community needs-led and pro-active
  (i.e., preventative/promotion).
• Supporting tier 1 organisations in managing CAMH.

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Primary Mental Health Workers in CAMHS Team
Central Role (Walsall CAMHS Strategy, 2003)
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Primary Mental Health Workers in CAMHS The Nature

• Senior practitioners.
• Variety of professional backgrounds ? promoting
  multi-agency work from the outset.
• Rich skills mix.
• Strengthening, supporting enhancing service
  provision at Tier 1.
• Closing gap between Tier 1 Tier 2/3 services
  (in both directions).

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Primary Mental Health Care Team (PMHCT) The
Initial Work
Training
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PMHWT Helping a culture change

• Child and family mental health is everyones
  responsibility
• and everyone can contribute given the right
  training and support.

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Where are we aiming to be?