Child & Adolescent Mental Health - (CAMHS)

• There's a booklet written especially for parents and caregivers.
• Young children also have their own booklet.
• We have lots of pamphlets about mental health and other services. Just ask at the clinics or talk to your workers if you want a copy of any of these publications for yourself or another person.

What is Eastern Health CAMHS?

Some young people have said:

It's a place full of everyday people with problems that they can't handle by themselves. (17 year old)

If you're down, it's not a bad place…you feel uncomfortable at first, but then it gets easier and easier when you get to trust them. (15 year old)

CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

We aim to improve the emotional and mental health of children and adolescents (up to the age of 18), as well as their families or carers. That means we try to help people deal with emotional problems they're having right now. We also help people learn how to prevent some problems or handle things better.

Eastern Health is the larger organization we're part of.

People can use our service if they live in the Central and Outer Eastern regions of Melbourne, including the Cities of Whitehorse and Maroondah and the Shire of Yarra Ranges. Eastern Health CAMHS is funded by he State Government of Victoria, and it's a free service.

Eastern Health CAMHS is a team of specialists.

The workers who see young people at our service are often called 'clinicians'. All of them specialise in child and adolescent mental health, but they can have different professional backgrounds.

Our group of clinicians includes psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, psychiatric nurses, paediatricians and speech therapists.

What you say to a clinician is confidential. That means it won't be passed on to someone else unless you say it's OK or unless you or someone else is at risk of being hurt.

People come to Eastern Health CAMHS to get help with the following sorts of problems:

Emotional Problems

• Feeling sad a lot of the time
• Feeling really anxious, nervous or stressed out
• Feeling angry or aggressive
• Feeling isolated or numb (like you're detached from your feelings)
• Feeling that your life is out of control

Relationship Problems

• Shyness
• Difficulties making and keeping friends
• Family conflict, like fights with parents, brothers or sisters

Health and Wellbeing Problems

• Eating and sleeping difficulties
• Deliberately harming yourself

Behavioural Problems

• Acting out of control
• Using drugs and alcohol too much

Other Psychological Problems

• Feeling or acting suicidal
• Hearing voices or seeing things that no one else thinks are real (called 'hallucinations')
• Having ideas or beliefs that seem out of touch with reality (called 'delusions' - for example being really 'paranoid')
• Having moods that swing from really high to really low
• Things you have to do sometimes over and over again or bad things will happen ('obsessions' and 'compulsions')

What will happen if I contact CAMHS?

Most people go through the following steps:

• When you or your parents first contact us, an intake worker asks questions to find out what issues you or your family are facing. The intake worker needs this information to decide what part of our service can help you.
• Most people get referred to one of our outpatient clinics - Wundeela, Chandler or Box Hill. ('Outpatient' means it's not a hospital. You'll be called a 'client' or 'consumer' rather than a patient)
• The first visit to the outpatient clinic is generally for an assessment. This usually involves a worker talking to you and family members. We try to understand the problems you're having and think through with you how we might work together to help solve them.
• Your worker then writes up a report of the assessment. This includes a written plan (called the Individual Service Plan or ISP) description how our service will work with you to help you meet your goals and deal with your issues. The Individual Service Plan is written together with you.
• Treatment usually involves regular appointment to talk about issues. You and your family may also be asked to do certain things between appointments. The worker may ask permission to discuss your situation with other people who can help - like the wellbeing coordinator at your school.
• If you need extra advice or help between appointments, ring the clinic and ask to speak to the clinician you normally see. Of course, it's best to prevent a crisis, and your clinician can discuss prevention plans with you.
• There's usually a review of the Individual Service Plan after about 6 months of treatment, if you are still with the service.
• Discharge is when everyone agrees that treatment with CAMHS has been completed. The clinician may suggest an ongoing program for you after this. You'll be told how to contact our service again if you need to.
• After discharge, we'll send you a survey asking for your thoughts on Eastern Health CAMHS. Your feedback helps us learn how to respond better to young peoples and families needs.

There are some specialist services that you may be offered or need to use from time to time:

The Adolescent Day Program is a part-time group therapy program for 8 young people.

The Adolescent Inpatient Unit is a 12 bed hospital ward where young people can stay if they need more intensive care.

The Mobile Adolescent Team can visit someone at home or meet up with them in the community if a young person seems to be at very great risk.

Specialist services are able to help young people with some specific issues, like:

• Anxiety and depression
• Early psychosis
• Trauma

After Hours Crisis Services are also available.

How you can get the most out of your time at CAMHS

• Work together with the team
• Be open and honest
• Share information that's relevant
• Respect other people
• Take care of the premises and equipment
• Let your worker know beforehand if you can't keep an appointment

The staff at CAMHS know that it can be hard to do these things, but expect that you will take responsibility for them during your time at CAMHS.

It will help us to work together.

Know your rights

Everybody - no matter what their age - has rights. People who work at CAMHS will help you understand your rights within the mental health system. You should know your rights and speak up if you think these aren't being respected.

The following list of rights has been developed with a group of young people who have used CAMHS. Some are rights that you (or your parents on your behalf) have according to the law.

Young people who come to CAMHS have rights in the following areas:

Information

• Getting the information you need about the service - when you need it
• Having your rights explained to you when you first go to the service
• Being told what will happen during your involvement with the service
• Know how to get help when the clinic is closed
• Knowing what information will be collected and why (you'll receive a privacy pamphlet about this)
• Being able to see what's written in your file (To do this you'll need to fill out some forms required by the Freedom of Information Act. Ask your clinician for details. Some types of information aren't generally shown to clients, even when they are allowed to see their file.)

Privacy

• Having your privacy respected as much as possible
• Saying what information is given out to various people about you, except:
  - where you or someone else may be at serious risk
  - where information about your treatment is required by people caring for you, for example, parents or teachers.

Getting help

• Having someone help you when you're in a crisis
• Getting the help of a qualified interpreter if you need this

Choice and participation

• Being able to ask for a different worker or a second opinion
• Being involved in planning how the service can best help you (through an Individual Service Plan)
• Being involved in decisions made about you
• Being able to say 'no' when asked to be part of a research project, including research about new medications
• Being able to seek legal advice

Respect

• Receiving treatments in the kindest way possible
• Not being talked down to or treated like a little kid (patronised or belittled)
• Being able to explain what you need and have that heard and respected
• Being allowed to ask questions and receiving answers that you can understand
• Having your special needs respected in areas such as religious beliefs, cultural values and practices (things about your family background) and language

Making a complaint

• Being able to complain about your treatment or anything that you're unhappy with
• Being given information about how to make a complaint (start by talking with the worker involved or their team leader - see below for contact numbers. Our Complaints Booklet lists other ways to make a complaint.)

If you have any questions - ask your worker.

We're keen to hear from you.

Your ideas and feedback can help make CAMHS a better place for other young people.

People who are using the service need to have a voice. (young consumer)

We sometimes have Consumer Forums, where you can contribute your ideas. If you're interested in getting involved, please contact Leanne Beagley.

We asked some young people, "How would you describe this place (CAMHS) to your friends?" They said:

Warm and friendly…casual…but you get help that's needed…sometimes you have to push your point and communicate with them more, but I highly recommend it. (17 year old)

It's shit scary but it's worth it in the end, and it may take you a while to realise it. (16 year old)

The unit isn't a very nice place to be, but when you're distressed it's the very best place to be (15 year old)

Eastern Health Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

Director
Dr Peter Jenkins
Eastern Health CAMHS
Box Hill Hospital
133 Thames ST
Box Hill3128
Phone: 98954062

Program Manager
Paul Leyden
Eastern Health CAMHS
Box Hill Hospital
Box Hill 3128
Phone: 98954061

Wundeela Team
21 Ware Crescent
Ringwood East 3135
Phone 9870 9788
Team Leader: Maria Rigopoulos

Chandler House Team
16-18 Albert Street
Upper Ferntree Gully 3156
Phone: 9839 6700
Team Leader: Jamie Rundle

Box Hill Team
Level 3, 43 Carrington Road
Box Hill 3128
Phone: 9843 1200
Team Leader: Lynne Allison

Mobile Adolescent Team (MAT)
Level 3, 43 Carrington Road
Box Hill 3128
Phone 9843 1200
Team Leader: Dr Jane Vanetempest

Adolescent Day Program
21 Ware Crescent
Ringwood East 3135
Phone 9871 3845
Team Leader: Helen Jowett

Adolescent Inpatient Unit
Box Hill Hospital
135 Thames St
Box Hill 3128
Phone :90926740
Nurse Unit Manager: Anthony Shute

After Hours Crisis Support

• If you need to speak with someone after hours, call 1300 721 927

• Go to the Emergency Department at Maroondah Hospital (Davey Drive, East Ringwood) or Box Hill Hospital (Nelson Street, Box Hill)

Some Supports, Resources and Contacts

A good place to start is by contacting your local council, who list youth and other support services in your area. Some of these are detailed below.

Youth Services
Phone 9752-5665
Belgrave
Email: youthservices@yarraranges.vic.gov.au
Website: http://www.yrys.com/
Youth Services offers support, counselling, group programs, etc. and has a comprehensive list of youth mental health resources in the Yarra Ranges.

EV's
Phone 9725 3765
Croydon Entertainment Centre
Youth support for Maroondah area.
Email: evs.musicpage.com

Knox KIDS
Phone 9720 7954
Bayswater
Provides youth programs for 12-17 year olds.

Yarra Junction Outreach
Phone 5967 1513

Lilydale Youth Resource Centre
Phone 9294 6716

Healesville Youth Resource Centre
Phone 5962 1485

Kids Help Line
Phone 1800 551 800
This 24 hour number for young people has a database of services throughout Australia. Other helplines are listed inside the white pages front cover. All have busy periods, so keep trying!

Care Ring
Phone 13 61 69
This is a general 24 hour telephone counselling support.

PATS (Paying Attention To Self) Program
Phone 9345 7950
This program, affiliated with the Royal Children's Hospital, provides no-cost peer support groups in several locations for young people who have a parent with mental illness. A kit for young people is available, which includes an audio tape and booklet.

CHAMPS
www.easternhealth.org.au/champs
Phone 9871 3983 (Rose Cuff)
This program, available through Eastern Health Mental Health Program, provides peer support for children who have a parent with a mental illness.

VMIAC (Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council)
Phone 9387 8317
This is a consumer advocacy group who are available to help anyone who has mental health problems with getting the kind of help they need.

Websites

www.reachout.com.au
The Reachout site aims to support kids through tough times. It provides information (including information about youth suicide) and links, and it allows young people to share their stories. Material for the site is gathered through a ReachOut! Region and Rural Tour (RORRT).

www.sane.org
This is the site for SANE, a national organization providing information and many publications on mental illness.

www.headroom.net.au/
The Headroom site has information on mental health issues for young people, children, adolescents, and parents.

www.youngminds.org.uk/
Young Minds is a UK based site, committed to promoting children's mental health and offering information for young people and parents.

Protecting Your Privacy

Our staff are committed to respecting your confidentiality and preserving your privacy. We will keep your personal information secure and protected from unauthorised access or improper use, and we will only disclose information about you if it is authorised by you or mandated by law.

All our services comply with the relevant information and privacy legislation.

Privacy Policy

Eastern Health is accredited by the independent Australian Council on Healthcare Standards in recognition of the achievement of acknowledged standards, and the commitment to continuous improvement in the provision of healthcare services.

Useful Mental Health Links