New service launched in Bath for young people

A new service has been launched in Bath and North East Somerset that means that young people with mental health difficulties will now receive the support they need more quickly ... Read more

A new service has been launched in Bath and North East Somerset that means that young people with mental health difficulties will now receive the support they need more quickly and efficiently than ever before.

The new Primary Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (PCAMHS) is focused on early intervention for people up to the age of 18 who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health problems. An average of six to eight sessions of treatment will be provided by practitioners, who concentrate on promoting independence and resilience in young people.

 Delivered by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, which already provide specialist (Tier 3 and 4) mental health services to children and young people in the region, this new early intervention service will further enhance the range of mental health services available to young people in the area.

Children and young people can expect to access services more easily than before and to get the help they need  within two weeks of being referred. There is also a full out-of-hours service in place, so that teams can provide support throughout the night and during weekends. Relate and Cruse are formal partners: Relate will provide generic counselling for 11 – 18-years-olds, while Cruse will offer bereavement counselling and support.

 The service was launched at Bath racecourse on Friday 3 February in Bath. MP for North East Somerset Jacob Rees-Mogg opened the ceremony with a speech in which he said: “I am honoured to be able to attend the launch of this new service, which I know will make an important difference to the lives of young people in this area”. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive Julie Waldron also spoke at the event, describing the new service as ‘amongst the best of its kind in the whole country – the service has been developed following extensive collaboration with young service users and a very positive approach from commissioners’.

Oxford University’s Professor of Psychiatry Keith Hawton was the guest speaker and gave a fascinating, wide-ranging presentation on national and international research into self-harm and suicide in young people.

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Published: 13 February 2012