anyone ever had to fill in a referral form for camhs?

[amberjane]

hey, dd 8 school referred my dd to camhs but left me to fill most of the form in myself. This in itself was so heartbreaking cos my dd has so many problems including severe depression and my whole family....dd17, ds 21 and myself are in the middle of a complete breakdown.
As dd has problems at school... no friends, school phobia, I thought they would part fill in form but left it all to me.
Ive had to bare my family soul on the form and now send it to school for school nurse to sign and send, I feel so ashamed of some of the family issues and parenting problems had to confess to they will now see.
Anyone know what the next stage will be when camhs get the referral form, so desperate for help for dd and us as a family too :-(

Hi Amberjane, I can't answer your specific questions but might have something slightly useful to contribute and didn't want you to go unanswered.

Mental health issues are so very hard and made even harder because mental health problems are still a bit stigmatised.

The only helpful thing I can say is that I've had experience of the adult mental health services and they were totally fantastic - I have nothing whatsoever negative to say about them. They saved my skin and kept my family together. So I would say be brave, fill in the form, and try not to care about what people might think of you. People who matter will understand and sympathise, people who don't matter might not, but...well, they don't matter. What anyone person in their right mind reading the form should think is how brave you are for filling it in and trying to find help.

Is it possible the school left you to fill in the form because they want to give you an opportunity to say exactly what you feel/ what the problems are from your perspective?

Hi Amberjane,

I haven't had to fill in a form and i don't know the next step but i don't want your thread to go unanswered and i want you to know that MH problems are nothing to be ashamed of and sometimes life deals some horrible blows that we have to deal with.

The most important thing is that your DD gets the help that she needs and for what its worth I have heard that CAMHS do some wonderful work.

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time and I hope this will help your DD get through a tough time.

Another very very important thing is that you get some help for yourself too. Don't suffer alone, speak to your doctor.

Good luck xx

Just remember the school nurses see a lot of these forms and they are there to help not to judge. Have you tried calling the school nurses yourself and asking them for guidance on timescales and to explain the procedure a bit more?
Hope you get the help you need x

oooohhhh thankyou, feel better for the replies, yes under the mental health team myself, school will know this now. Yes will do anything you are right to get help for us as it cant go on any longer, thanks again.

I have filled in lots as my DS is in hospital full time now and is on a section. If there is anything I can help you with specifically pm me. Hope everything goes ok

suummer was going to call camhs after a few days/ week of them getting forms and chasing it up, school nurse only visits school on an odd visit.
Think just feeling little paranoid at the moment, one of my things.
Just hope we get accepted by camhs?

In our area you can contact the school nurses in their office. You could try ringing the school and see if they have a contact number for the school nurse.

Camhs have different levels of assessment and support. First we saw a mental health practioner who was lovely. She took a history and listened to our concerns. It was her who made sure we had been referred to the right place. After that we saw a mental health nurse and after a few sessions with him a psychiatrist.

Our local camhs was great and everyone was v kind and helpful.

Good luck.

hello have spoken to dd school nurse today and she has sent forms off so just got to wait and hear now.
I needalife thanks for telling me how it worked out for you, hope i have the same sort of help.
thankyou all so much

Aw, please don't worry. I'm sure they would appreciate your honesty and think you are incredibly brave. After all, you wouldn't think twice about seeing someone about a broken leg. Mental health is an illness and you are not the first person to go through this - the professionals see this all the time.

Good luck x