Liverpool CAMHS which stands for Child’s Adolescent Mental Health Services provides support to children and young people who are experiencing mental health difficulties.
What CAMHS can do for you
CAMHS work with lots of other organisations who provide different types of help, depending on what you require. Some of these services require a doctor’s referral and for others you can refer yourself (or your child if you are a parent or carer.) On the CAMHS website, you can access a range of guides and advice and find out about what support is available to help.
How to access CAMHS
If you are a child, young person, parent, carer or professional working with families, you can make an online referral to Liverpool CAMHS here.
You may also find it helpful to speak to:
- your GP
- someone you trust at school or college – for example, a teacher, pastoral lead, school nurse or special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO)
- health visitors
- children’s centres
If you already have support from social care or youth services they should be able to refer you for an appointment with someone in CAMHS.
If you are a child or young person in crisis, you can call the crisis care line 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 0151 293 3577 or freephone 0808 196 3550, but you should only present to Accident Emergency Department if you need medical treatment or are struggling to keep yourself safe in the immediate moment.
If you are worried about your child
It can be difficult to know if there is something upsetting a child or young person, but there are ways to spot when something’s wrong. Look out for:
- significant changes in behaviour
- ongoing difficulty sleeping
- withdrawing from social situations
- not wanting to do things they usually like
- self-harm or neglecting themselves
Remember, everyone feels low, angry or anxious at times. But when these changes last for a long time or are significantly affecting them, it might be time to get professional help.
You know your child better than anyone so, if you’re worried, first think if there has been a significant, lasting change in their behaviour. This could be at home, school or college; with others or on their own; or in relation to specific events or changes in their life.
How to access mental health support
Text
A free confidential, 24/7 text message support service for anyone is feeling overwhelmed or is struggling to cope. Text the word GREEN to 85258.
Phone
If a child or young person is in crisis, they can call the 24/7 crisis care line, freephone 0808 196 3550
Online
On our website there’s lots of information about the range of support available for children, young people and their families.
You can also find information about looking after your child’s mental health and make a referral if they need the support of a professional.
