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Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health

The professionals involved in these teams include:

• Psychiatrists

• Psychologists and psychological therapists

• Social workers

• Nurses

• Occupational therapists

• Substance misuse specialists

• Primary care mental health link workers

• Support workers.

Services are arranged in tiers in accordance with the level of help and input needed:

Tier 1

These are what is known as Universal Services or Universal CAMHS, and they are
provided in settings such as GP practices, schools, colleges, early years or youth and
community settings, play and leisure services, and children’s centres. The teams at
Tier 1 are not part of the specialist CAMHS service but link with them if they need to.

Tier 2

These are more targeted CAMHS services, usually provided by a single professional
with some specialist training in particular aspects of mental health and well-being.
The work may be carried out in the child or young person’s home environment.

Tier 3

These are specialist CAMHS services, again carried out in the home environment
when this is considered desirable. A team of people with different backgrounds
and expertise is involved at this tier level to help children with greater and more
complex needs.

Tier 4

These are highly specialised CAMHS that help children and young people who need
to be admitted to a hospital setting or a highly specialised outpatient unit.
The accessibility of these services varies across different parts of the country and
waiting times can vary considerably too.

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