News

CHANGING MINDS: BETTER MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN

Community Care has launched a new campaign called 'Changing Minds' to improve and expand mental health services for children and adolescents.

Children and adolescents have mental health problems that are being overlooked until they reach crisis point. Even then, because of a severe shortage of services, they are often left waiting for months for treatment. The services that are available are very varied and often turn young people off from seeking help. Children needing emergency care are ending up in either paediatric wards or adult psychiatric wards because there are few specialist psychiatric units for their age group.

THE CAMPAIGN HAS SIX AIMS:

- The government to convene a taskforce on child and adolescent mental health services to draw up a national strategy for England

- The government to ensure ring-fenced resources for CAMHS (children and adolescent mental health services)

- All preventive and social inclusion initiatives targeted at children to prioritise mental health

- Health, education, and social care agencies to work with voluntary organisations to develop specific services for older adolescents

- Health, education, and social care agencies to agree to work together to ensure sufficient, high quality services are available to children and young people with mental health problems

- Health and social care agencies to establish specific support services for carers of children and young people with mental health problems

For a full copy of the campaign briefing paper click here

The campaign is supported by the Mental Health Foundation and YoungMinds

As part of the campaign the Mental Health Foundation will be releasing four new research reports examining the mental health needs of young offenders; looked after children; young homeless people; and young people with emotional and behavioural problems. Each week briefings on each of the reports will be available online as part of the consultation process. Click on the MHF website to give your views

To download a summary of the first report on the mental health of young offenders click here

For a summary of the second report on looked after children click here

For a summary of third report on homeless young people click here

and for a summary of the fourth report on children with emotional and behavioural difficulties click here

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is also running a five-year campaign - launched in 1998 -called 'Changing Minds', which aims to increase public and professional understanding of mental health problems and reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with them. For further information on their campaign

YOU CAN GET INVOLVED IN OUR CAMPAIGN TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE:

Click here to download a draft letter for your MP. Write your address and the name of your MP above the House of Commons address and sign it before sending it off to your MP.

Click here to download our petition and collect signatures. Photocopy it and the letter to MPs for your colleagues, service users, and partner agency staff.

CONFERENCE

Community Care in partnership with Pavilion has organised a conference for practitioners to help them work with vulnerable young people with mental health problems.

Click here for more information - you can download and print the advertisement with a booking form coupon.