Services
CAMHS Outreach Service
Our Outreach Service supports children and young people experiencing a mental health crisis by offering short-term intervention to increase their safety and promote recovery in the community.
The team includes mental health nurses, social workers and clinical psychologists.
Our service
We provide intensive, short-term support at home for children and young people under the age of 18 who are experiencing a serious mental health crisis. This can be offered up to 7 days a week.
We work alongside the Mental Health Liaison Team at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital or the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) who coordinates the provision of care during crisis points.
Following a referral, we work with the young person, their parent or carer to carry out an assessment of the young person’s needs, the risk they face and potential support.
We focus on what we can do to help with recovery and work hard to minimise disruption to the young person’s education at school or in higher education.
We also aim to avoid hospitalisation and, where it cannot be prevented, we aim to minimise the length of stay and arrange for the young person to engage with CAMHS as soon as they are able.
We work closely with each person, as well as their parents and carers, professionals within schools, children’s social care and other mental health services to manage risk and ensure the young person is as safe as possible.
We ensure the right support is in place to help reduce the risk of further difficulties arising which may impact on mental health in the future.
We are flexible in our approach to engaging with young people, their families and carers and we also offer appointments in school, clinics, at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital Paediatric Ward and other community sites.
We will work with you to:
- To understand your story and your feelings of distress.
- To reduce the need for you to go to hospital.
- To enable you to return home from hospital safely and in a planned way.
- To work with your family and/or carers to understand how best to support you and keep you safe
- To work alongside other professionals in your life such as teachers and social workers.
Referrals
Referrals can be made by CAMHS and the Mental Health Liaison Service.
We work with children and young people up until the age of 18 years who live in Gloucestershire and who:
- are experiencing an acute crisis in their mental wellbeing. This could include difficulties with intense and overwhelming emotions, increased self-harm, intrusive suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide
- may be at risk of admission to a mental health in-patient unit (Tier 4) due to the severity of their mental health illness or risk
- have been admitted to a Tier 4 inpatient unit and require support for early discharge
- present with an escalation in their mental health and risk behaviours
- have had re-current attendance at A&E for mental health crisis or may be at risk of A&E attendance.
We are unable to work with people if:
- their need can be met by existing specialist services such the Eating Disorders Service or Learning Disability team or Gloucestershire Recovery in Psychosis (GRIP)
- there is a primary diagnosis of substance misuse in the absence of severe acute mental health difficulties
- the referral is due to placement breakdowns within Social Care where there are no identified mental health needs at the point of referral to the Outreach team
- they are best supported within core Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the absence of a mental health crisis.
Resources
Experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis means feeling unable to cope with overwhelming or upsetting thoughts and feelings. Crisis is different for everyone.
If you or your child is experiencing a crisis and there is an immediate danger to life, please dial 999 or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency Department. Alternatively visit: Help in a Crisis > Glos Health & Care NHS Foundation Trust (ghc.nhs.uk) or call 111 to access specialist mental health support for people of all ages. This service also provides advice for frontline police, GPs and other health professionals 24/7.
Alternative useful resources and support includes:
OYMG (On Your Mind Gloucestershire) is a mental health support finder supported by the NHS: www.onyourmindglos.nhs.uk
Tic+ works with Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust to offer counselling, support and advice: www.ticplus.org.uk
Childline offers a free confidential helpline for children and young people in distress and offers support from counsellors online. Call 0800 1111, or get in touch: www.childline.org.uk
HOPELINE247 is a suicide prevention helpline for young people under 35: www.papyrus-uk.org/papyrus-hopeline247
MindEd for Families is funded through the Department of Health and Health Education England to support parents and those caring for children and young people when they are concerned about their mental health or wellbeing. Visit: mindedforfamilies.org.uk
Shout is a 24-hour text service for anyone in crisis or struggling to cope. Text Shout at 85258, or visit www.giveusashout.org
Samaritans provides 24-hour confidential emotional support for people experiencing distress, call: 116 123.
SANEline is a national out-of-hours mental health helpline offering specialist emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental illness, including family, friends and carers: www.sane.org.uk/how-we-help/emotional-support/saneline-services
Suicide Crisis is a local and national charity for suicide prevention. Offers face-to-face and telephone support, as well as services for trauma and dissociation: www.suicidecrisis.co.uk
The Mix is a support service for young people under the age of 25 on relationships, mental and physical health, money, housing and more. Visit their website at: www.themix.org.uk
Young Minds offer advice and information about youth mental health issues. Visit their website at: www.youngminds.org.uk
Young Minds crisis messenger is a free, 24/7 crisis support across the UK. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need support, you can text YM to 85258.
They will listen to you and help you think through how you’re feeling, and will aim to help you take the next steps towards feeling better.
Texts are free from EE, O2, Vodafone, 3, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Telecom Plus.
Apps:
CalmHarm is a free app that helps you manage or resist the urge to self-harm: Home – Calm Harm App
Smiling Mind is an Australian app which offers free mindfulness exercises: Smiling Mind
Clear Fear is a free app which helps to overcome anxiety: Home – Clear Fear App
