Finally! A CAHMS Appointment

[JsMum]

J was under CAMHS and regularly seeing a Psychiatrist, then he went to his specialist residential school out of county and the local CAMHS where we live discharged him due to his residency in a residential school.

 

I didnt realise how hard it was going to be get him to be seen by a psychiatrist again but I wasnt too worried as his school said that he was recieving Councilling, Anger Management and OT, as well as Speech and Language and if he did need a referral school would refer him, how wrong have I been, its been a real challenge to get J to be seen by a CAMHS.

 

Due to Js challanging behaviour in both setting, home and school, we have requested another CAHMS assessments but the local Gp where I live and where J comes home weekends and holidays said it had to be made by the GP where J is registered which is the gp surgery nr his school. so I went back to the school and requested that the GP refer him, the School Gp said no it has to be the GP at his home address!

 

so I was going backwards and forwards, in the meantime Js mental health was requiring urgent attention, even after emergency gp appointments and aggreement that J required a psychiatrist we where told by each Gp not thier remit, go back to the gp that can refer him.

 

I was getting nowhere, in the end I got both the Gps to talk to each other and involved the PCT who finally agreed the responsible gp to refer J was the Gp at his school, I am anoyed as surely the school would of known this from day one.

 

I am annoyed that the school didnt work more closely with the local cahms as this surely could of been prevented.

 

Anyway the gp at Js school finally refers J to the Cahms, I thought great, not long now, this was in may, no because the first referral got lost, so it had to be faxed, then in early July it went into a tray called pending funding, no one could tell me how long it would remain in that tray, Js Home Gp agreed we needed an urgent Pyschiatrist appointment and that was in May, it was now July. so I had to get intouch with both PCTs again, this is now the beginning of August. my local PCT and the Out of county PCT, eventually the Managers discuessed the funding and yesterday it was agreed, and he now has an appointment for early September at the out of county CAMHS.

 

I just cant believe a specialist school has let this happen, they should of referred him once he started the school.

 

What annoys me is that J has been threatened with permanant exclusion in the past at school and he is on the highest behavioural policys, and consequences, the school said he was recieving anger management of which he isnt because at annual review it was agreed he START Anger Management, of which I did say I thought he was already recieving it, no one could tell me if he had or hadnt but it was evident he had not recieived any Anger Management and J said that the councilling is in a group, not one to one.

 

Part of me not worrying in the beginning of J having no access to CAHMS is because the school said they there providing councilling and Anger Management, but his behaviour was still a concern so we agreed to referral for CAMHS.

 

What I wasnt aware of was how hard that was going to be.

 

Finally after all the run around and getting intouch with PCT Managers Ive got there.

 

It shouldnt be like this though should it.

 

JsMumx

[Kazzen161]

This can be one of the difficulties of a child being in residential. We had difficulties with getting T's in-grown toenail sorted and with getting his provisional driving licence (needed a letter from the GP). The advantage is that the school GPs tend to understand ASD/ADHD better because of their links with the school.

[SuzyQ]

Ha ...

 

I have this issue too it's a nightmare, added to that the school my DD is at has issues with CAMHS anyway due to postal address being one county and actual school being another!!!!

 

My DD saw a private psychiatrist the school paid for, and even with regular visits to hospital for self harming she still didnt get anywhere with CAMHS, she has now been seeing one that comes to the school and I believe is linked to CAMHS somewhere, but it is not really enough, I think it is disgraceful as it is the children that suffer when authorities just want to pass costs onto each other!!

As for as I know even though DD is at a residential school her home address is with me so in theory it should be my PCT that sorts it for her, but they say not!!

Luckily the school are doing everything they can to get her help.

 

good luck