Working with children, young people, and their families
The Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) role has been developed to improve the access to, and quality of, mental health support for children and young people. EMHP’s are part of the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) and work primarily in schools. Learn about the direct work with schools here.
Guided self-help
EMHP’s deliver evidence-based, low-intensity, guided self-help interventions with children and young people and their parents/carers for common mental health problems such as anxiety, low mood, and behavioural difficulties. Most of these interventions are based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a form of talking therapy which looks at how what we think and what we do affects how we feel. It involves finding out what is keeping us ‘stuck’ and helps us change how we feel by trying different ways of thinking about things or different ways of doing things. The below video explains more about how CBT works.
Support is specifically designed to empower children and young people and parents or carers to optimise their or their child’s use of self-help and lifestyle management resources shared by the MHST, to overcome presenting difficulties.
Assessment
Following an initial assessment with an EMHP, a collaborative treatment plan will be made.
Intervention sessions will typically last 45minutes to 1hour, the individual will receive 6-8sessions and these may be delivered face-to-face in school or remotely.
Page last reviewed: 7 September, 2021