As in other areas across Scotland and the UK, there has been a sharp increase in referrals for neurodevelopmental (ND) assessment and this has led to an extensive waiting list. As a result we have had to carefully consider how we safely prioritise patients to ensure we carry out the primary role of CAMHS, which is to assess and treat children and young people with significant and impairing mental health concerns. If your child does not have a co-existing mental health problem, we are unable to accept a referral for a neurodevelopmental assessment.
We understand that this news may cause worry, upset and uncertainty. We recommend focussing on building an understanding of your child's profile; their strengths and difficulties. Our resources page for parents and carers highlights useful resources and online session which will support you to do this.
What does CAMHS do?
There are two main areas of work in CAMHS, referred to as Pathways.
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The first of these is the Mental Health Pathway.
This pathway is for children and young people aged 6 to 18 who are still on a school roll and who are experiencing significant and prolonged difficulties with their mental health. The signs and symptoms of these can be found in our information pages and resources sections.
Referrals should be made for children and young people whose difficulties have been present for 6 months or more, those who have a sudden and unexplained change in behaviour or presentation., or where there is significant impact on multiple areas of day to day functioning e.g. non-attendance at school, social withdrawal, significant sleep difficulties, eating issues, marked behavioural difficulties. Referrals should also be made where there are complex risk factors present e.g. looked after, parental mental health issues, history of abuse or previous mental health difficulties.
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The second pathway is referred to as the Neurodevelopmental Pathway.
This is for children and young people where there are concerns around the possibility of a developmental difficulty such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disability or other complexities.
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The first of these is the Mental Health Pathway.
This pathway is for children and young people aged 6 to 18 who are still on a school roll and who are experiencing significant and prolonged difficulties with their mental health. The signs and symptoms of these can be found in our information pages and resources sections.
Referrals should be made for children and young people whose difficulties have been present for 6 months or more, those who have a sudden and unexplained change in behaviour or presentation., or where there is significant impact on multiple areas of day to day functioning e.g. non-attendance at school, social withdrawal, significant sleep difficulties, eating issues, marked behavioural difficulties. Referrals should also be made where there are complex risk factors present e.g. looked after, parental mental health issues, history of abuse or previous mental health difficulties.
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The second pathway is referred to as the Neurodevelopmental Pathway.
This is for children and young people where there are concerns around the possibility of a developmental difficulty such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disability or other complexities.