Refused help from camhs for help with ds (14) mental health

[Crazycat53]

Hi, I’m looking for some advice. Ds is 14. His anxiety is getting worse and he’s feeling like he doesn’t want to be here anymore. I’ve taken him to the gp who has prescribed sertraline and referred him to camhs. We got a letter today to say that camhs will not help him. Where do I go from here? (I’m living payday to payday and can’t afford to pay for therapy. ) I have no idea where to go to get help for him. Any ideas? Thanks

Can school put in a referral for Early Help?

Have you spoken to his school...my dcs school has a school counsellor I think.

Search online for charities that can help in your area. My friend is a counsellor and volunteers for a charity once a week. She goes into schools to help kids

Good luck, I hope you can find him some help.

Lots of schools have mental health practitioners to help with anxiety, or counsellors going in to offer support, ask school if they have anything.

Hopefully the sertraline will help. How long has he been on it?
Camhs are a disgrace.

Yes talk to school. They might be able to access services for him. Or even have a school counsellor.

Go back to the GP and ask for advice now you’ve had th rejection letter. Some good suggestions about help via charities and school. Simple things like the journals of feelings and simple online courses can make a huge difference. Screen free time together out in nature can help as well

Try the Kooth app. Some CAMHS psychologists recommend it.

If he says he doesn’t want to be here anymore, I would take that seriously and call Mind, Papyrus , Samaritans or another of the MH charities today

They really are. What is the point of them if they refuse to even consider treating a mentally ill teen?

FWIW, I did a load of stuff with DS using online CBT sheets and workbooks. He is autistic and had social anxiety and other school related anxieties. We just slowly worked through them and discussed the techniques and adjusted them a bit so they felt right to him. You could do worse than that. I have come across counsellors who were far less switched on at doing this sort of thing than I was. Better a loving mum than a tick-box person who phones in their compassion.

OP,
Sorry to hear!
Look up Safehaven near you.
They are drop in services for mental health and run every evening until 11
I was told about this by one of the crisis teams mental health nurses who visit my DD.

I haven't used safehaven yet but it sounded like a helpful place to be when no one is around to help.
The GP can also refer to tier 2 mental health service one below camhs...I think they are early help.
Also you can self refer to talking therapies like IATP.
www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-nhs-talking-therapies-service

Also try the school and see if they have a counsellor.
I would say try multiple avenues at the same time as it takes a while to find someone to help.
Samaritans is a good place to call it DS is suicidal.
It is worrying but there is help. You need to find it and it isn't easy.

Happy to help if you need assistance or just to vent.
Hang in there.

Xx

Thank you everyone. I've found a local charity I will contact on Monday. The school are aware but not much help. They don't have a councillor or anyone interested in children's mental health.

I hope the the sertraline is being monitored carefully, if he isn’t being offered any other help - the product information for healthcare professionals (SmPC) states the following;