11.11.14
Children’s mental health services
Source: Vicki
I'm really not surprised to read of the dire state of CAMHS. I have had three ineffectual interactions with CAMHS on behalf of my daughter, who is now 10.
It was difficult enough to persuade my GP of the need to refer in the first place, probably because she knew that very little would be done. And such has proved to be the case. Despite presenting with what I and the rest of her family perceive to be clear difficulties with attention and other inappropriate behaviour (for at least the last four years), she has been fobbed off with play therapy (the first time), an 'assessment' by a clinical psychologist who diagnosed 'clinically significant' separation and social anxiety but discharged her and did nothing.
On the third occasion I had a letter saying we would be referred for some family liaison, which was meaningless since that was well over four months ago and we haven't heard anything.
In desperation I have taken her to a private psychiatrist who is doing a full battery of neurological tests which, she says, are necessary because of her symptoms and because she will need support before and during her transition to secondary school. And not before time, although it is proving expensive as we are paying ourselves. So yes, I'd say my daughter has been badly let down by CAMHS!
Re: Children’s mental health services have ‘serious and deeply ingrained problems’