CAHMS Crisis and Home Treatment Team
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We are a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) that works with children and young people (CYP) who present in crisis related to emotional wellbeing and mental health needs.
- Base: Whitestone Clinic, Coventry
- Directorate: Children's
- Client Age: Up to 18 years of age.
- Address: Whitestone Clinic, Magyar Crescent, Coventry, CV11 4SG
- Reception hours: Referrals for a request from a professional (these include health professionals and social care) for a community assessment will be made to the Crisis Team on 024 7664 1799/NHS 111 between the hours of 8am and 8pm Monday to Sunday. This is not an emergency contact, and any emergency risk needs to be directed to an acute hospital.
- Reception phone number: 02476 641 799
About us
Our service is provided for those who are up to 18 years of age. We cover the whole of Coventry and Warwickshire and assess those who are:
- an immediate and significant risk to others due to their mental health
- being considered for admission to a mental health inpatient unit
- at risk of immediate and significant self-harm
- in acute psychological or emotional distress that is causing them to not be able to go about their daily activities, such as going to school and looking after themselves.
The Crisis team offers a crisis response and Mental Health Risk Assessment for children and young people (CYP) who have presented to any of the three acute Trusts: George Elliot Hospital (GEH), University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) and South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT.) The Acute Liaison provision will provide a clinical opinion or support the implementation of a Working with Risk Care Plan, for young people admitted to a paediatric ward (excluding A&E departments) with an acute mental health crisis and or self-harm/ suicidal ideation.
We also complete mental health crisis assessments within the community, either at a CYP home or community base. Where a CYP is presenting in crisis, the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment (CRHT) services will work with the CYP and family to support a crisis assessment, working towards preventing an unnecessary admission to the acute hospital (if medical treatment/ intervention is not required).
There is a clinical coordinator between the operational hours of 8am and 8pm Monday to Sunday. However, this is not an emergency contact, and any emergency risk needs to be directed to an acute hospital.
Home treatment
If a CYP needs immediate support though our Home Treatment service and meets the criteria, this will be discussed as part of an MDT first.
Home treatment, Intensive home treatment is for young people:
- who have acute psychiatric or psychological symptoms
- whose mental health is getting worse, and who are at high risk of experiencing an acute psychiatric crisis.
- who are ready to come home from a psychiatric hospital, where we can help to plan for their return home
- who are already working with specialist CAMHS teams, where we can also help to provide out of hours care
- who must have had a crisis or ALT assessment
- who must be open to CAMHS
This service is for 6 weeks. We will visit the family and young person at home or at an agreed place to deliver a package of care to suit the individual's needs. This will also include a safety plan and agreed treatment care plan. The number of visits needed will be dependent on the individual and their needs. All young people will need a full assessment, WWR1, and a Form 1 completing before commencing home treatment.
Day provision
Day Provision Service for children and young, the aim is to provide structured daytime crisis support for children and young people (CYP) aged 13-18 (17 and 364 days), their families and the wider services within Coventry and Warwickshire.
The service aims to reduce A&E visits, prevent inpatient hospital admissions, support discharge from tier 4 services and the general acute wards, and offer therapeutic interventions to CYP in crisis.
The service currently operates five days a week (Monday to Friday).
NHS 111 Service
If a CYP is experiencing significant emotional or mental distress, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option. The service offers 24/7 advice and support if you are:
- Experiencing worry, anxiety, or fear that you can't control.
- Hearing voices and seeing things that others can't
- Considering harming yourself
- Find yourself withdrawing from friends or family
Referral criteria
Referrals for the Crisis team from acute trusts - CYP admitted to an acute Trust, who has been assessed to be medically fit for discharge, having completed any medical treatment they required as a consequence of their self-harm and or mental health presentation. The team will arrange to see the CYP with their family and/ or appropriate carer within 48 hours. The wards will complete a referral and send this directly to the Crisis team who will then arrange an assessment.
Referrals for a request from a professional (these include health professionals and social care) for a community assessment will be made to the Crisis team on 024 7664 1799/111 between the hours of 8am and 8pm Monday to Sunday. There is an agreed 4-hour response time to contact the family of the CYP to arrange, if appropriate, a community crisis assessment in the next 48 hours. It needs to be noted that this is not an alternative to a medical need and/ or a risk that is unable to be managed by the family/referrer in the immediate 48 hours. The 4-hour response is within the working hours stipulated; it will be the referrer's responsibility that the CYP is directed to an acute Trust if this risk needs immediate support. For all referrals, the referrer must have seen the young person and completed a risk assessment within 5 working days for their referral to be accepted.