Monday to Friday, 08.30am to 17.00pm. Early morning and evening appointments are available if required.

Referrals are accepted from a range of professionals including colleagues in primary health care, social services, education welfare officers, school doctors, school nurses, behavioural support workers, educational psychologists, paediatrics and adult mental health teams. Referral forms appropriate to your area can be found on our website:

www.wheresyourheadat.co.uk

The Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) offers assessment and treatment to children and young people aged up the age of 18 years (and their families/carers) who are suffering significant mental difficulties which have not responded to intervention at primary care and prevention and early intervention level. We are responsible for providing these services across Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset.

Examples of significant/serious mental health problems we deal with are:

- Concerns about psychosis/schizophrenia

- Significant self harm and risk taking behaviours

- Depression or other moderate to severe disorders

- Eating problems

- Severe anxiety disorders causing significant impairment

- Obsessive compulsive disorders

- Complex and/or significant post traumatic disorders

- Pervasive and severe behavioural difficulties in pre adolescent children

- Hyperkinetic disorder with significant psychiatric co-morbidity

- Mental health or severe emotional difficulties in children with a diagnosis of Autism or Asperger's Syndrome

- Severe conduct disorder as part of a multi-agency response and evidence of significant mental health disorder

The first appointment with CAMHS will last for approximatley one hour. The aim is to get to know the child/young person and their families and understand their problems and work out ways of dealing with them. Various questions will be asked to get to know the child/young person and their families better and this will include looking for strengths that can help them with their situation.

Depending on the nature of the problem, various approaches may be suggested, such as individual therapy for a child or young person, family therapy, individual work with a parent and sometimes medication. The aim is to tailor a package of carer appropriate to their needs. We may also put them in touch with other agencies.

We are a group of experienced professionals here to help. Professionals such as Doctors, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists and Social Workers.

If you are a young person and you are concerned about your mental health, talking to someone who knows you, such as your parents, carers or teacher is a good place to start. You and they can then make contact with a GP, school nurse or social worker, who will ask you to tell them about what kinds of problems you are experiencing so that they can think about what sort of help you might need. This might involve them in arranging an appointment for you, (being referred) to our services. If you feel you can not speak to your parents or carers, please speak to an adult you trust or contact your GP directly.

If you are a parent/carer of a young person and you have concerns about your child's mental health and emotional wellbeing, you can speak to a range of professionals including; GPs, teachers, school nurses, primary mental health workers, social workers, educational welfare officers, behavioural support workers and educational psychologists, paediatrics and adult mental health teams.

If it is agreed that a referral needs to be made for your child to the Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, (CAMHS), they will make the necessary arrangements.

If you are interested in improving our services and having "your say" in the services we provide, we do hold service development groups for young people, parents and carers. Please see the following information:

- The Service Development Groups are made up of young people, their parents or carers and are held on a monthly basis, on the last Tuesday of every month

- Meetings take place in the HE Room at Poole Community Clinic, in Poole

- If you would like to attend, please contact Jo Ballantyne on 01305 254717

Further information about our services can be found on www.wheresyourheadat.co.uk

The CAMHS team work in clinics all over Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset, which are open from 08.30am - 17.00pm. Early morning and evening appointments are also available if required. If you are unable to attend the clinic or would prefer to have an appointment at a different location, for example, your home or in school, this can also be arranged.

For Poole and Purbeck, please contact Poole CDC, on 01202 442028

For Bournemouth and Christchurch, please contact Shelley Clinic, on 01202 646300

For West Dorset, please contact Dorchester's Children's Centre, on 01305 254717

For Weymouth and Portland, please contact Lynch Lane, on 01305 762810