Anyone self referred to CAMHS?

[purpleme12]

Has anyone self referred to CAMHS for their child?
Can anyone tell me what happens/what the process is? What to expect?

In the area I live you cannot self refer. The referral has to come via the GP, school or other professional (social worker, family support worker, youth worker etc).

Ok that's fine but I did this thread to ask about people who have self referred to CAMHS and what their experience is

Same as a professional referral….fill in the form…..wait to be triaged….get put on a waiting list…..get seen in about 12 to 18 months in my area

I phoned when my teenager hit rock bottom no help at all, did better going to my gp. But by the time she was offered what little help they give she had been admitted to hospital.

tbh I would say be carefully about contacting them, they don’t help my daughter at all in fact there have been times they’ve made it worst.

i know it depends what’s wrong, and my daughter is very very ill, but I would strongly advise you go through the gp first, if it’s the camhs he will help you.

So do you mean that in your area they didn't speak to you after you filled in the online form until about a year after?

Your child can call the crisis team. You can do an online self referral, my child got seen in a few weeks due to triage and she needed immediate help. We also used another counselling service called Harmless but they're not countrywide

Yes that’s how it works….but you can call the crisis team in a crisis….they will deal with it….then you still back on that waiting list

Sadly there are for more kids needing help than there are staff to help. You can call crisis teams but you will probably still end up on a list. Good luck

It really depends where you live. In many areas you can't self-refer and pretty much all CAMHS teams will have specific referral criteria which you might not meet anyway or you may want help with an issue they don't deal with.

Have a look at your local CAMHS website.

I know I can self refer that's why I did the thread about it.

Whether they'll help her or not I don't know (from reading comments on here in general)

Thanks

I have but school gave us the form and then submitted. I got a letter addressed to me as SENCO at the school so I think it's gone in as a school referral which is right really as it was school who suggested it.

DSIS is in CAMHS and I already know its going to be 12-18 months before I hear anything.

Camhs are worse than useless in my area. In fact they made the situation worse & I discharged my teen. It was purely a box ticking exercise involving daily interviews with different people over several days. All asking the same questions of ds again & again. It made him really upset & made him feel worse. He was in tears at every appt & it was following a planned suicide.
It was honestly absolutely shocking!
I went privately to a psychiatrist & he was diagnosed with ADHD & depression/anxiety & is now on fluoxetine & doing his a levels.

Then look at their website, see what the referral criteria is and if your DC meets it, get DCs consent (depending on age) and give it a go.

The young minds website has some helpful info regards to referring to CAMHS and they have a helpline for parents too.

I referred my child. After months of being messed around I went in person and refused to leave without seeing a manager. Told the manager if my DD killed herself or someone else I would name them in the press that I came for help and wasn't given any. Extreme but it worked. Was given meds and seen twice a week. It shouldn't be this difficult to get help. Good luck.

You should be able to do a self-referral form on-line and then you will be triaged. The waits are horrendous at the moment though. I hope all is ok and you get the help you need

Thank you

I'm a bit scared

Figure out which pathway you want I.e. assessment pathway for asd or adhd etc or general camhs. Fill in the referral form. Tick the boxes. Make sure you tell them the impact it is having on your family.

Your referral will be triaged and someone will contact you.

The worst that can happen is that they will say it doesn't meet their threshold and they will signpost you to other support.

I don't know how private messages work on here but you can message me if you need to