Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Specialist Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are delivered across the whole of Hertfordshire.
The service treats emotional and behavioural problems in children and adolescents.
Such emotional problems include depression, anxiety and phobias. The behavioural problems include extreme aggression at home and school, delinquency and attention deficit hyperactive disorder.
Other serious issues can be anorexia, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder.
Presenting problems can be self-harm or taking overdoses, non-school attendance, school exclusion, or police involvement. About 10% of all children at one time have a serious problem that is affecting their school, family or social life. There are about 25,000 children and adolescents in Hertfordshire.
We offer services via the Child and Family Clinics throughout the county and through the community based Adolescent Outreach Service and the Primary Care Liaison Service. We also offer consultations, assessments and interventions to Looked after Children and their care networks.
The other specialist services offered are:
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Harper House (which manages children and young people with a wide range of complex neurodevelopment disorders)
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Forest House (16 bedded Adolescent In-patient/Day patient unit)
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A-DASH (Adolescent Drugs and Alcohol Service countywide)
The professionals that are employed in CAMHS include child psychiatrists, clinical and counselling psychologists, specialised social workers, psychotherapists, family therapists and specialist nurses.
Click here for a checklist for parents with children with mental health problems.
