A new website has been launched by Humber NHS Foundation Trust that aims to help people understand more about the services available to young people in the region struggling with their mental health.
The website features a wealth of information suitable for young people themselves, parents and carers and professionals working with children and young people.
Mental health can be a difficult topic to discuss and those difficulties can be amplified when talking to children and young people who may struggle to understand the concept.
The area of the website aimed at young people talks them through what mental health is and the impact of ill health can affect us, along with giving information about what to be aware of and what to look out for. Young people can get advice about what to do if they want to speak to someone anonymously, but they can also find out detailed information about the CAMHS services and what happens when you are referred in order to demystify the process. The website has information on how to make an electronic referral form to CAMHS services.
Nikki Titchener, Service Manager for East Riding CAMHS and Karen Warwick, Service Manager for Hull CAMHS at the Trust have jointly developed the website. Nikki said:
“We often find that young people don’t know what to expect. On the site we’ve aimed to spell out what will happen at every stage of the referral process. We’ve also explained what it’s like coming to your first session, how you might feel and what that session might involve. It’s all designed to reassure young people and reduce any anxiety they may be feeling.”
The site also features self-help information and includes a link to the Reading Well for Young People scheme ‘SHELF HELP’.
Sharon Watts, Public Health Lead at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:
“Reading Well is a national scheme, delivered locally by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Library Services; the scheme aims to help young people to understand and manage their health and wellbeing using self-help reading. The scheme provides 13-18 year-olds with high-quality information, support and advice on a wide-range of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and self-harm and difficult life pressures, like bullying and exams. To find out more visit www.reading-well.org.uk/shelfhelp or visit your local library.”
There is also a frequently asked questions section that young people may find useful, especially if they are about to begin accessing CAMHS services.
For parents and carers, there is a section of the site explaining what signs you can look for if you are concerned about their mental health and emotional wellbeing. There is also a section on CAMHS and what to expect along with practical advice on what to do if your child doesn’t want to attend and how you can get help and support for yourself. In addition, there is an explanation of what the different people who work in CAMHS do, from psychiatrists and psychologists, to nurses, administrators and more.
Nikki added:
“Parents and carers will often ask us many of the same questions as the young person in their care, they want to know what to expect in advance. However, we have also tried to provide advice and information that parents and carers may find useful when discussing CAMHS with a young person.
We’ve also acknowledged that in many scenarios, parents and carers may need support themselves and we’ve provided some useful information to help them.”
For professionals, the site aims to make the referral process easier by providing an online referral form along with information on what to do if you’re worried about a child.
Nikki said: “The site also has a page aimed at service users that explains how to get involved. That’s about getting involved in your own treatment and getting involved in providing feedback to us. There are details of participation groups where people can share experiences and ideas to help make a difference and help us learn from your experiences.
Nikki continued: “The new site will be constantly updated with new information and our blog page will be a great opportunity for people to learn more about CAMHS and the services that are available. We hope that it will take some of the apprehension that people may feel about accessing our services away.
The new CAMHS website is live now at http://camhs.humber.nhs.uk/.
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