To leave my CAMHS job

Camhsmum · 2024-05-02T20:43:06+00:00

It's shocking. Absolutely shocking. The wait time for treatment is well over three years in my area and I'm sure it's the same across the country. The treatment we are able to offer is totally inadequate as we are stretched to our limits to see as many people as possible. Told not to do home or community visits as it takes up too much time with travel. Pressure to get children seen and discharged in as little time as possible. Pressure from the government to get the waiting times down. Every day I am dealing with parents begging me to do something to get their child seen and there's nothing I can do about it. Children putting themselves at risk on a daily basis and it's still going to be a three year wait? I've got parents telling me it'll be my fault if something happens to their child. I'm emotionally burned out. Children are being let down at every point in mental health, education, social services and they are still making more cuts! Three year waits but still not budget for more staff?? Of course there are great parts of the job as well. I get to meet some of the most incredible children but I don't even feel I'm able to do that part of my work properly now as I'm so stretched with how often I can see them. What on earth happens now? Surely children's mental health services can't be left to continue like this? Sorry I'm rambling now but it's been a long week.

Winetastingtimewasting · 02/05/2024 21:45

I think the answer
is part time CAMHS part time private practice.
I hear you loud and clear
…
every word of it

WouldYouLikeMeToSpellThatForYou · 02/05/2024 21:55

Oh god. I'm just about to join CAMHS

Winetastingtimewasting · 02/05/2024 22:00

Welcome .
You will make a HUGE difference.
you will need to learn to say no to endless
requests to see more children.
you can only do what you can do and will need to be firm to do it well.

lightisnotwhite · 02/05/2024 22:04

It's not that bad everywhere and CAMHS is not the only support service.
There's well being practitioners, family support, educational support, tutoring, sport and school services.
I hear about cuts but I also see children going to special schools miles from home in private taxi's ( where it was once school buses), multiple agencies offering in home services to children and pretty generous PiP payments to children regardless of parental income.

Knickersinatwist36 · 02/05/2024 22:09

Thank you for all you do. You will have made such a difference to young people's lives. My eldest is struggling so much because of the waiting lists, but my youngest has been treated with kindness, compassion and a real willingness to help her to develop as a young person from so many at CAMHS. She is, undoubtedly, a child able to cope (with support), in the world and this is because of the amazing people who helped her, and me, to define a path which will help her into adulthood.

The only difference between my children's experience with CAMHS is not the practitioners, but COVID and the lack of funding. I wish you well no matter what you go on to do.

solongandthanksforallthedish · 02/05/2024 22:13

lightisnotwhite · 02/05/2024 22:04

It's not that bad everywhere and CAMHS is not the only support service.
There's well being practitioners, family support, educational support, tutoring, sport and school services.
I hear about cuts but I also see children going to special schools miles from home in private taxi's ( where it was once school buses), multiple agencies offering in home services to children and pretty generous PiP payments to children regardless of parental income.

Tell me you don't have a child needing those services without telling me you don't have a child needing those services...

You're having a laugh, right?

Mischance · 02/05/2024 22:13

A relative's child was referred to CAMHS. She rang them to organise an appointment and was answered by a receptionist whose sole task was to tell people that the service had no professional staff. Says it all.

Bibnle636 · 02/05/2024 22:23

lightisnotwhite · 02/05/2024 22:04

It's not that bad everywhere and CAMHS is not the only support service.
There's well being practitioners, family support, educational support, tutoring, sport and school services.
I hear about cuts but I also see children going to special schools miles from home in private taxi's ( where it was once school buses), multiple agencies offering in home services to children and pretty generous PiP payments to children regardless of parental income.

It absolutely bloody is bad. What use is sport or tutoring to a child chronically self harming and trying to kill itself or a child eating 300 calories a day or a child or a child so depressed they’re catatonic in bed ….

Parents can’t access well being practitioners in CAMHS - they’re like gold dust.Home services under CAMHS are only given to the most severe and again it’s like gold dust let alone proper treatment so they get worse. You can’t get pip ( non enhanced is a pretty small amount) without a diagnosis and professional evidence which parents are waiting for for years whilst watching their children deteriorate. It’s horrendous to go though.

You have no idea.

sarahjaneg · 02/05/2024 22:28

Thankyou for all you do, I'm not sure my daughter would be here today without people like you doing the job you do, you really do make the difference, please know that every family you've managed to help will have the memory of you and what you've been able to do for them, I will always be thankful to my local team 💕

Bibnle636 · 02/05/2024 22:30

And yes op thankyou so much for all you do.

TheChosenTwo · 02/05/2024 22:38

I can’t believe anyone actually gets any kind of service from them for them even to be justified as an organisation tbh.
Yes I’m incredibly bitter about the absolutely zero support we received from them, in fact they told lies about us and discharged dd2 each and every time we were referred, twice without making any contact other than sending the letter!
Once after a week long stay in hospital we were told to just go home, not talk about what had happened and carry on with life normally. Gobsmacked, dh asked if we just waited for it to happen again, the shrugged and just walked off.
YANBU op, I wouldn’t want to be associated with them either, we’ve had a dreadful experience and hope we will never need to be referred to then again.

None of that is to say that I don’t think you’ve tried your best to work with what you have. I don’t doubt that people start working there thinking they can make a difference. But from our experience (and I really can only talk from our experience) they made absolutely no difference, if anything the stress made things worse for dh and I. We understand the cuts (I’ve worked for years in education, there’s just nothing left for some areas) but it doesn’t mean it’s okay. I left education too after feeling like I was no longer educating but fighting fires.

Hapagirl48 · 02/05/2024 22:40

CAMHS saved my DD’s life. Us parents appreciate you. My DD has been with CAMHS for almost 4 years first seen as urgent referral. In those 4 years I have seen a functioning system ground down hill though. My DD was seen pretty quickly (6 weeks) for suicidal ideation and self hard in October 2020. I’ve heard that children in the same situation can’t get passed the GP now though. When she was first seen, I could call her consultant psychiatrist or her psychologist and they would talk to me and her on the phone. Now the phone isn’t even answered. Every single person has been great with her, I know it’s the system and chronic underfunding, not the people. It’s devastating you are thinking of leaving OP but understandable.

lightisnotwhite · 02/05/2024 22:44

Bibnle636 · 02/05/2024 22:23

It absolutely bloody is bad. What use is sport or tutoring to a child chronically self harming and trying to kill itself or a child eating 300 calories a day or a child or a child so depressed they’re catatonic in bed ….

Parents can’t access well being practitioners in CAMHS - they’re like gold dust.Home services under CAMHS are only given to the most severe and again it’s like gold dust let alone proper treatment so they get worse. You can’t get pip ( non enhanced is a pretty small amount) without a diagnosis and professional evidence which parents are waiting for for years whilst watching their children deteriorate. It’s horrendous to go though.

You have no idea.

Show quote history

I do actually.

Bibnle636 · 02/05/2024 22:45

lightisnotwhite · 02/05/2024 22:44

I do actually.

Show quote history

You clearly don’t. You’re talking absolute rubbish.

Bumdrops · 02/05/2024 22:48

Bibnle636 · 02/05/2024 22:45

You clearly don’t. You’re talking absolute rubbish.

Show quote history

I agree … @lightisnotwhite doesnt seem to recognise the difference between mental illness and stress I assume ?

Bumdrops · 02/05/2024 22:50

Mental health services, particularly CAHMs are beyond broken,
i truly fear for the young people who need services and don’t have the means to access private services

Welovecrumpets · 02/05/2024 22:51

We really need to get to the bottom of why so many young people are mentally struggling compared with even 10 years ago

Bibnle636 · 02/05/2024 22:53

Welovecrumpets · 02/05/2024 22:51

We really need to get to the bottom of why so many young people are mentally struggling compared with even 10 years ago

Ok but in the meantime we need to bloody help them. It’s a national disgrace.

Welovecrumpets · 02/05/2024 22:55

Bibnle636 · 02/05/2024 22:53

Ok but in the meantime we need to bloody help them. It’s a national disgrace.

Show quote history

I don’t know how we can. Are there even enough practitioners to recruit even if the cash was found tomorrow? I don’t know.

TheChosenTwo · 02/05/2024 22:57

Welovecrumpets · 02/05/2024 22:51

We really need to get to the bottom of why so many young people are mentally struggling compared with even 10 years ago

I agree, we do. I think as a parent I can definitely pinpoint failures and shortcomings, we can’t go back and change them but we have adapted how we live going forwards.
Screens are fucking damaging kids is my big takeaway. And as parents we ought to be more switched on with it all.

I’m not saying it’s all parents and all to do with screens, it’s definitely not. But I’d bet my last pound on there being a very strong correlation.

Grumpyoldblonde · 02/05/2024 22:58

Welovecrumpets · 02/05/2024 22:51

We really need to get to the bottom of why so many young people are mentally struggling compared with even 10 years ago

Yes, we really do. My guess is the rise of s ocial media, partly the lockdown, and probably a hundred other reasons but I'm certain social media plays a huge part. Not just what kids see but that so many parents are glued to their phones and just not completely present.

CAMHs can be wonderful and can be atrocious, it's such a lottery.

By not funding it properly I dread to think what our struggling kids will be as adults. It has to be worth investment to save lives and long term even more money.

Pippa246 · 02/05/2024 22:59

I was in the adult service for addiction and received no help whatsoever- the nurse assigned to me cancelled the first appointment and never made a new one. Then I got a new one appointed and heard nothing from them. The one appointment I got with a psychiatrist in the health centre - when I arrived, the nurses were moving furniture around all afternoon apparently! Hardly the best use of time when so stretched.

GrumpyMiddleAgedCow · 02/05/2024 23:02

I feel your pain we are 4+ yrs there’s just not enough staff to do what needs to be done, that’s not your fault. Parents might take a dig but keep in mind their child is suffering and they feel like no one cares (I know you as well as the majority of CAMHS staff do). However, their frustration is against the service not you. While I totally understand their frustration it’s 1000% not your fault (and the parents do know this but they are struggling and feel stuck so take it out on whoever is in contact, but 99% of them could acknowledge it’s the service but need to vent their feelings as a parent). If you can keep pushing please do but if it’s taking over your life to the stage you constantly worry then do what’s best for you xx

Bibnle636 · 02/05/2024 23:04

Screens, crappy education system, lack of SEN support…

QuitChewingMyPlectrum · 02/05/2024 23:06

lightisnotwhite · 02/05/2024 22:04

It's not that bad everywhere and CAMHS is not the only support service.
There's well being practitioners, family support, educational support, tutoring, sport and school services.
I hear about cuts but I also see children going to special schools miles from home in private taxi's ( where it was once school buses), multiple agencies offering in home services to children and pretty generous PiP payments to children regardless of parental income.

Bad take of the day.......

Of course, every time my child goes non verbal, I just make a phone call and they're immediately surrounded by experts to help them, chauffeur driven transport to a private clinic for 1:1 support by a team that cater to their ever whim. Oh. And they're handed a wad of cash when they get there...just for shits and giggles

What planet are you on?