Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

 

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (often abbreviated to CAMHS) promote emotional well-being and deliver preventative services and treatment to children and young people with mental health problems.

 

NHS services work closely with professionals in local authority children’s services, schools services, the voluntary sector and other partners to meet the range of needs of children and young people with emotional and mental health problems.

 

NHS Specialist CAMHS for residents of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan are provided by Cwm Taf Health Board.

 

A Cardiff and Vale Primary Mental Health Team provides training, advice and consultative support to front line staff working with children and young people, such as GPs, health visitors, educational psychologists, social workers.

 

There are three Specialist CAMHS teams in Cardiff and Vale and they cover the following geographical areas:

 

 

Each is a multidisciplinary team and acts as a point of entry into CAMHS, taking referrals from a wide range of sources including GPs, Paediatricians and social workers.

 

The teams provide a full range of assessments, including a diagnostic service, as well as evidence based interventions, consultation, liaison and training to other professionals. In addition, a multidisciplinary Community Intensive Therapy Team (CITT) works to meet the needs of complex cases of young people with mental health problems.

 

 

 

Patients requiring an inpatient stay are cared for at Hafod Newydd on the Glanrhyd Hospital site at Bridgend. This service provides for children and young people from Gwent, Powys, Merthyr, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Cardiff, Vale, Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

 

There is also a 24 hour emergency assessment and admission service. The location of the inpatient unit at Hafod Newydd is an interim arrangement whilst a new build is developed on the Princess of Wales Hospital site at Bridgend.

 

 

 

A specialist CAMHS substance misuse service provides multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment for young people with mental health and substance misuse problems. There is also a specialist team supporting young offenders with emotional and mental health problems.