Is this a normal wait for CAMHS?

[VashtaNerada]

GP referred us to CAMHS for DD’s depression in August. Since then there have been a couple of phonecalls from them to ask us questions but no interventions or any kind of plan for DD. We email once every few weeks asking for an update or an estimated timescale but emails are never answered. Is this normal? DD’s mental health is deteriorating and I just don’t know what to say to her.

That’s not a long wait in CAMHS terms, it can be literally years. The waiting time can be so long that the kid actually ages out before their turn comes

Dd has expressed suicidal thoughts and was picked up very quickly by CAMHS following her hospital admission. I’m not sure what we would have done if they hadn’t. We are having weekly support and additional meetings.

Very similar timescales to you we where referred in August to CAHMS but made aware of very long timescales. (Depression, anxiety, Self harming & suicidal thoughts)
We did pay for a private assessment (still a six week wait & not cheap!) but worth it as a starting point and an idea of appropriate next steps. We then paid for private therapy since September, as she was not in a good place and we really didn’t want to medicate unless it was the only choice. Not sure if it helped but being able to send the assessment to CAHMS and that meant she was put on the waiting list for CBT which is due to start next week finally. She did have a number of phone call/zoom sessions with CAHMS over the months . I made her responsable for contacting and chasing CAHMS to enable her to have some control.
It’s been expensive for us & hoping CBT helps. 🤞🏻

We are 18 mths into a 2 year wait. Scjool.amd GP referral (she had what can only be described as an incidence in front of the GP )When she was excluded for violence after a meltdown at school (many previously) and when she was attacking her younger sister and me it escalated and we received a phone call from a psychologist (who to be fair was lovely). When I said she had tried to jump out of the upstairs window and I had to pin her down as she was hysterical I was questioned intently. But I obviously said something wrong which didn't flag whatever up as she audibly sighed and said she was sorry but I still had 18 mths of the wait to go. That was a year ago, just over.

It has opened other doors though. She has counselling through MIND and a mentor too. It is starting to point to asd. My dd overall is in a better place than 12 months ago. I don't know what I would have done if she wasn't. It was the most horrific experience for her, her sister and me. We've had a bad couple of days and this lockdown is more pressure on her due to the escalation of online learning. She reacts by lashing out and in a tiny house with no escape for any of us it is intense.

She's 11.

Typos! Tired.

A year for initial appointment. Another year to 18 months for intervention.

Unfortunately yes. I’m a primary school SENCO. 12-18 months is a normal wait time for CAMHS. It’s awful for parents and also for schools who may have made the referral or be in support of the parental referral, who then have to see the child every single day knowing how long the wait is, doing what we can in the meantime. It’s heartbreaking.

Whereabouts in the country are you? PM if you want.

@snowliving

The exception to this is dc in crisis and actively suicidal who often get at least some initial support.

Haha haha, that’s a sarcastic laugh

When ds (asd) was actively suicidal and self harming we still had to wait nearly a year to get help. We got regular calls to tell us which position we were on the waiting list. The only thing that got things moving was taking him to a&e (after a suicide attempt) where he had a meltdown because we had to wait so long, which resulted in security guards and the police being involved.

I have friends who had been waiting over 2 years just for an initial assessment before covid, goodness knows how long it is now.

The whole service is disgracefully underfunded and it only getting worse.

Sadly yes. Mental health services are shocking - both adult and child.

It took 3 fortunately failed suicide attempts and countless self harm incidents before they would pick my daughter up beyond the obligatory ward visit.

We waited two years. In that time, they lost DDs file, refused a referral, took another one and then discharged her without seeing her.

Then two years later she tried to kill herself and ended up in hospital for months. They eventually saw her once she was an inpatient. Now she's home, they see her once a month if we're lucky and I don't think they have actually done anything to help aside from prescribe medication.

She's really damaged now.

CAMHS are utterly hopeless. Don't expect any clarity or effective help from them.

Sorry.

Where I am that would be considered fast. You wait for years and they are useless.

We waited all most a year for emergency referal and was discharged at triage. With my other child we waited a year for triage and was given advice then as told it would be a further two year wait to see a psychologist. So the nurse had a few chats and discharged as she said it was pointless joining the wait list.

I work in a CAMHS service and our routine mental health and NDD waiting list is about 14 months. Urgent cases seen within 7 days. My own child waited 23 months for a different trust.
I know how understaffed services are as well as inappropriate referrals which take a lot of time to sift through.
We frequently get parents helpfully emailing to let us know we have passed the HEAT target of 18weeks to be seen from point of referral like that’s ever going to happen.

@LegoAndLolDolls I take great offence at being told CAMHS is useless. What you mean is in your opinion your commenting on the service you were referred to. I do a bloody good job every day exceeding my paid hours by 10+ unpaid every week to make sure young people are seen.

We had an initial assessment for DS in October 2018. He was referred onwards with possible ASD. We have heard nothing since.

We had a general referral in year 7, still not heard in y9. An ASD referral in y7, had a contracted out video assessment which DS was supposed ti do by himself despite often being mute, and he couldn't so they kicked him out. I complained they put him back in, said they'ld send out a pack, well that was a month ago. If you have the money would go private, you shouldn't have to but they are not fit for purpose.

Thank you everyone. What sad responses! to those of you whose DC have had even more troubles than DD. I think the real tragedy is that if DD had been seen when her problems started she could potentially have been given a few strategies to see her through. As time goes on her need increases and the support she needs will too. Sadly I can’t afford private but it’s useful to know not to pin all my hopes on CAMHS. I wish they had been honest about next steps and waiting times rather than implying help was around the corner. I think I’ll investigate support through charities to see what they say.

My child was suicidal - referred by paediatrician.

CAHMS couldn’t have cared less - twice.

I was subsequently told I was a neglectful mum for not getting help.

I agree with bell ropes:

"Their favourite trick is to blame everything on parents and render you so utterly demoralised that you never want to return."

Camhs in Surrey are shit.
In the end I learnt how to 'play the game' and played NHS and Private off against each other until I got Ds's diagnosis.

Not before I'd been accused of Munchausens and told I should never have been allowed to have children!

OP check out some of the other threads on here discussing peoples' experiences of CAMHS. Its an appalling service overall and has steadily worsened over the last decade. Nor is it just down to money although that is undoubtedly making things much worse.

As a life long supporter of statebacked healthcare my first recommendation to parents in this situation is to see if they can access any private provision, at least short term.

Also document absolutely everything you are told, every appointment in writing back to the centre. "Dear X, thank you for your time, just confirming the details of appt/discussion".

Camhs are awful been waiting since April last year for dd to start her medicine trial for ADHD. We did everything they asked like getting dd's blood pressure etc done by the Gp 3 times dropped in the results and emailed them but nobody ever got back to us.

@Oblomov - yup. That was my experience of social workers - making it up as they went sling to suit the narrative they wanted to create to cover up their own incompetence.

Reading this thread I’m struck by how
Many children waiting for CAHMs have ASD

I hadn’t twigged just how much asd must be a predisposing factor for mental health issues

Is Cahms getting overwhelmed by families with ASD who don’t have a service to meet their needs ???

5 plus years in east anglia.
Our girl is now at university still waiting to be seen here 🙄

CAMHS has been woefully underfunded for years, and the pandemic will only have increased demand.

DD was referred in May. In Sept we gave up and went private, even that had a 2 month wait list. She is finally getting the help she needs though.

OP. If there is any way you can raise money to go private I would consider it. Once on meds they can be re-prescribed via the NHS. Our initial appts were £500 and there are also follow ups to pay for too.