Who we are

Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) are a new NHS service offering mental health support to children, young people and their families in education settings.

In Oxfordshire we cover approx. 60% of schools.  Each practitioner will be in their allocated school every week.

The staff in the MHST are trained in delivering cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) which helps children and young people feel more resilient to cope with anxieties and depression.

Low-intensity CBT practitioners are equipped with evidence-based tools and interventions for supporting children and young people with certain mental health difficulties.

What we do

We work with new and developing mental health needs. This is about the impact the mental health difficulty is having on the young person’s life.

For example, if it’s mild anxiety it might affect the person in one or more areas of their life (e.g. school), but not every day.

We offer support for the following:

• Worry/anxiety
• Behaviour difficulties in primary aged children
• Low mood in secondary aged young people
• Simple phobias
• Psychoeducation and CBT-informed mental health techniques

Support offered to primary aged children is with the parents rather than the young person in the first instance.

We can offer 1-1 work, group work or parenting groups and would normally offer appointments in the school setting.

Children and young people must be attending school for at least some of the week and be willing/able to attend sessions in a school.

• We are unable to work with children and young people who are at risk of harm from themselves or others and/or young people and their families who are receiving support from the child protection services.

We can work with families receiving support from the Team around the family, family help teams or any other of the local children’s social services.

Referral Consultations

The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) offer consultations with school staff preferably prior to making a referral.  This is to ensure that children, young people and their families are not sitting on waiting lists for a service that might not meet their needs, and/or alternative offers of support are explored

Whole School Approaches

We work collaboratively with schools to support and develop the “Whole School Approach” (WSA) to promote positive mental health and wellbeing.

Whole School Approaches can include:

• Assemblies on Good Mental Health
• Staff Training
• Themed talks for parents on common mental health problems.
• Psychoeducational workshops.
• Themed Coffee Mornings

More CAMHS Support for Parents

• Walking with you

This is safe group space where you can talk freely among people who are walking the same path as you there is no judgment, and it is completely confidential.

It is open to anyone who is supporting a child/young person experiencing mental health difficulties up to the age of 25.

At each session there is representation from CAMHS who are available to answer any questions.

https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/camhs/involvement/bucks/wwy/

Partnership with Response

The MHST service works closely with the charity Response Organisation by employing youth workers in our secondary schools.

• DROP-IN SESSIONS

Each MHST secondary school are offered a lunch time drop-in session with their allocated youth worker.

• GROUPS

Youth worker groups bring hobbies and interests into a wellbeing environment and use fun and engaging activities to build connections and develop social skills.

• 1:1 SESSIONS

Young people can be offered a safe space to talk. 1-1 sessions are offered through the term with a youth worker who will support the young person to set achievable goals through engaging and fun based sessions.

How to Contact us

MHST email address: oxonmhstcamhs@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk

MHST contact number: 01865 903722

Or talk to your school Mental Health Lead (MHL) to make a referral

Other useful information

• CAMHS website – oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/camhs/
• Family Lives – familylives.org.uk
• Child-line, offer confidential help and advice: https://www.childline.org.uk
• 121 chat online contact number: 08001111
• Young Minds – youngminds.org.uk/
• Young minds Crisis Messenger, free 27/7 text support, contact number: 85258
• Health Talk Online – healthtalk.org/peoples-experiences/mental-health
• Free on-line counselling resource for young people: Kooth.com