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Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and schools: inter‐agency collaboration and communication

Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and schools: inter‐agency collaboration and... Mounting evidence of a crisis in mental health care for young people has underlined the need for early and better recognition of mental health difficulties in children. Recent policy suggests that schools and teachers must play a pivotal role in smoother pathways to care. This will necessitate enhanced working relationships between schools and child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). However, there is little understanding as to how teachers and mental health professionals currently relate to one another or what difficulties undermine ‘joined up’ care. In this study we examine current systems of collaboration between schools and child and adolescent mental health services, paying particular attention to relationships between schoolteachers and mental health professionals. Data was collected using semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews. Our findings indicate deep‐seated barriers to good collaboration. Moreover, teachers experience significant frustration through feeling excluded from the mental health care management of children despite being affected professionally by such decisions taken, the delays to intervention and poor communication between agencies. Interprofessional trust and mutual suspicion emerged from these interviews as an over‐arching factor. The implications arising from expectations for greater inter‐agency collaboration are discussed. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice Emerald Publishing

Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and schools: inter‐agency collaboration and communication

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References (10)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
1755-6228
DOI
10.1108/17556228200600022
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Mounting evidence of a crisis in mental health care for young people has underlined the need for early and better recognition of mental health difficulties in children. Recent policy suggests that schools and teachers must play a pivotal role in smoother pathways to care. This will necessitate enhanced working relationships between schools and child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). However, there is little understanding as to how teachers and mental health professionals currently relate to one another or what difficulties undermine ‘joined up’ care. In this study we examine current systems of collaboration between schools and child and adolescent mental health services, paying particular attention to relationships between schoolteachers and mental health professionals. Data was collected using semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews. Our findings indicate deep‐seated barriers to good collaboration. Moreover, teachers experience significant frustration through feeling excluded from the mental health care management of children despite being affected professionally by such decisions taken, the delays to intervention and poor communication between agencies. Interprofessional trust and mutual suspicion emerged from these interviews as an over‐arching factor. The implications arising from expectations for greater inter‐agency collaboration are discussed.

Journal

The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice – Emerald Publishing

Published: Dec 1, 2006

Keywords: Child mental health; Teachers; Schools; Inter‐agency; Training; Behavioural; Emotional and social difficulties/emotional behavioural difficulties

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