We know that visiting CAMHS for your initial assessment can seem daunting.
We hope the below information helps you to understand what to expect.
If you think you will find it difficult to attend your initial (first) assessment, please let us know - you can get in touch, or your parents/carers can contact us.
We can look at any reasonable adjustments that can be made (things we can do to make attending an appointment easier for you), to make the initial (first) assessment more comfortable for you. You, or your parents/carers, can contact your local CAMHS Team to discuss this.
You may wish to have a look around at our CAMHS Services before you attend your initial (first) assessment. Some children and families find this helpful to feel more familiar with the building. You can access our 360 views here: Sandwell, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall
Across all of our CAMHS services, we welcome children and young people to bring any items such as ear defenders, headphones, fidget toys, colouring books, which might help you to feel more comfortable in our waiting rooms. Unfortunately, CAMHS cannot provide you with any of these items - but feel free to bring your own to use! We want you to feel as comfortable as possible.
You may be asked by CAMHS to attend a little earlier (around 10 minutes) on the day of your initial (first) assessment, to complete some forms before you enter the consultation room. Your parents/carers may complete these forms for, or with you.
You will meet with a CAMHS clinician who will ask you some questions to help their assessment. This ensures we understand the strengths (what is working well), challenges (what is tricky) and difficulties for you and your family.
Our questions also help us to understand what resources have helped, or may have not helped in the past
Some families might not be used to hearing some of the questions we ask during our initial (first) assessment, and might find them intrusive (difficult). Please be assured that these questions are necessary in helping us to understand any difficulties or challenges.
Here at Specialist CAMHS, we might have a conversation with you to make sense of some of the challenges, and what might be useful. We might agree with you that some treatment in our services would be helpful.
Following attendance at your assessment appointment, a decision will be made together around what the best outcome would be for you as a family.
This decision might be that advice can be given, that another service would be better placed to support you and your family, or that CAMHS is better placed to support you and your family.
Usually people would not be allocated to a clinician at this point.
You may be given some information to look at whilst you wait to be allocated to a clinician within CAMHS.
Whilst people are waiting, we seek to keep in contact with families either by letter, or a telephone call.
We also have lots of helpful resources available on this website, which you might find useful whilst waiting for CAMHS.
If your situation changes whilst you are waiting to be allocated please contact your local CAMHS Team to keep us updated.