Managing tier 4 admission

What is CAMHS tier 4?

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) support young people experiencing poor mental health and are organised in a tiered system.

  • Tier 1 – provides early intervention through schools, GPs, health visitors.
  • Tier 2 – provides early help and targeted services, including some CAMHS services e.g. counselling.
  • Tier 3 – provides specialist CAMHS services in the community, including eating disorder services.
  • Tier 4 – is highly specialised day and inpatient units, where young people with more severe mental health problems can be assessed and treated.  This can be voluntary, or as a person who have been detained under the Mental Health Act.

CAMHS Tier 4 Services

CAMHS Tier 4 Services include care that is inpatient, intensive outpatient or day care treatment, which reflects a level of need equivalent to inpatient care.

Travel Expenses

Managing travel costs can be a worry for some families.  We have posted some information on this here under ‘Help with travel costs‘.

Helpful info for your child’s inpatient stay

#GettingThrough guides were created by and for families in collaboration with NHS England. They offer useful information for families when their child or young person (CYP) has been admitted to a CAMHS Tier 4 inpatient unit. The #GettingThrough guides can be accessed below.

#GettingThrough guides there are five guides in total.

  • Getting through meetings during an inpatient stay
  • Getting through family life during an inpatient stay
  • Getting through communication during an inpatient stay
  • Getting through the first few days: staff guidance
  • Getting through the first few days: patient booklet

Guides to help understand CAMHS T4 processes

Human rights and legal rights

Below are some links explaining what your child’s rights are when they are in a mental heath unit.

The Mental Health Act and being sectioned

If you are ‘sectioned’, this means that you are kept in hospital under the Mental Health Act.   There are different types of sections, each with different rules to keep you in hospital.  You can find out more about your rights when you are sectioned below.

About Care, Education and Treatment Reviews (CETRs)

Care, Education and Treatment Reviews (CETRs) are for young people with learning disabilities or autism and mental health issues who have been admitted to a CAMHS Tier 4 inpatient unit, or for those at risk of admission.  Their purpose is to ensure that young people are only admitted if absolutely necessary and for the minimum amount of time possible, and to ensure they have good care at the right time and in the right place.

Your right to a social care assessment

For more CAMHS parent information, please check out Good Advice and the Parent and Carers resources.

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Page last reviewed: 17 September, 2024