Sutton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

We provide mental health assessment and treatment for children, young people (aged 5-18) and their families living in the London Borough of Sutton.

Our opening hours

Monday to Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm

Outside of these hours and in an emergency, children and  young people can be seen at their local A&E hospital department.

All CAMHS clinicians are trained and experienced in understanding and treating young people and their families. The list below describes what is different about each CAMHS professional you might meet.

Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists

• Consultant Psychiatrist: Dr Birgit Berg 
• Consultant Psychiatrist: Dr Lamia Ali
• Two Junior Doctors working on rotation

This is a medically qualified doctor who specialises in understanding and working with children and young people who are troubled by emotional, behavioural and psychiatric problems. A large part of their work is to identify the problem, understand the causes and advise about what may help. They can also prescribe medication when appropriate.

Clinical & Counselling Psychologists

• Clinical Psychologist: Dr Laura Stokes
• Clinical Psychologist: Dr Marie Baxter
• Clinical Psychologist: Dr Louise Kenny
• Clinical Psychologist: Dr Holly Thompson
• Clinical Psychologist: Dr Dominique Newsome
• Clinical Psychologist: Melissa Clapp
• Two psychology doctoral trainees on rotation

A Clinical and Counselling Psychologist has completed a psychology degree with additional doctoral training in the treatment of emotional and behavioural problems. Clinical and counselling psychologists are highly trained in different types of therapies.

Systemic Family Psychotherapist

• Family Therapist: Alison McGivern 
• Family Therapist: Bomi Kang

A Systemic Family Psychotherapist has completed a specialist training in understanding relationships between young people and their families and important social networks.  They can meet with individuals as well as family, parents and networks to use these relationships to bring about change.

Clinical Nurse Specialists

• Clinical Nurse: Megan Kent
• Risk Management Nurse: Deborah Ayodele

This is a qualified nurse with specialist child mental health training or Learning Disability Training. Specialist nurses also have further training in various psychological therapies.

A combination of evidence based, disorder specific clinical interventions are delivered in line with the young person's needs and as agreed with the family through care planning. Interventions are time-limited, targeted and goal focussed, treatment progress is reviewed regularly and we aim to facilitate smooth transition and discharge from the service. Services offered include:

• Assessment of moderate to severe mental health / conditions, formulation / diagnosis and recommendations for treatment.
• Risk assessment and risk management plans to support children and young people presenting with mental health difficulties to support safety and optimal functioning.
• Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
• Brief / interpersonal therapy (IPT)
• Family therapy
• Pharmacotherapy with advice and monitoring
• Parenting work around the child's needs
• Consultations and network meetings with other professionals
• Bereavement counselling for children and young people
• Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills (DBTs)
• Guided self-help for anxiety (based on CBT model)
• Guided self-help for low mood (based on CBT model)
• Guided self-help for parents for anxiety (based on Cathy Creswell CBT model)
• Guided self-help for parents for behaviour difficulties (based on behaviour model)
• Workshops with parents / Carers and young people
• Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Referrals for children presenting for assessment of neurodevelopmental difficulties (ASD / ADHD) will be screened initially in our assessment team based in the Sutton Single Point of Access team, if threshold for diagnosis is met and reflected in the screening measures you will be referred to either COGNUS or the SWLSTG Trusts dedicated service for Neurodevelopmental difficulties so that a more comprehensive assessment and diagnosis of the difficulties can be undertaken.

Referrals for children presenting with Eating disorder’s (Anorexia and Bulimia) will be screened initially in our assessment team based in the Sutton Single Point of Access team, if threshold for diagnosis is met , onward referral to the SWLSTG Trusts dedicated service for Eating Disorders will follow so that a more comprehensive assessment and treatment of the difficulties can be undertaken.

SuttonCAMHSAdmin@swlstg.nhs.uk

Professional referrals are made via the CAMHS Single Point of Access (SPA) by using the eReferrals system or by emailing SuttonCAMHS.Referrals@swlstg.nhs.uk

SPA information requests = SuttonSPAadmin@swlstg.nhs.uk

Contact number: 0203 513 3800

Useful links

Other useful websites:

• My CAMHS Choices contains video FAQs about CAMHS services answered by young people and CAMHS professionals. http://mycamhschoices.org/

• Young Minds offers information for children and young people, parents and professionals about CAMHS, how to look after yourself and what to do if you’re worried about a young person. Also includes a CAMHS glossary and who’s who in CAMHS. http://www.youngminds.org.uk/

• AnxietyBC Youth offers information and advice for young people on anxiety and videos of young people’s experiences with facing their fears. http://youth.anxietybc.com

• Understanding Childhood offers information for parents and professionals about children’s development, including advice on how to deal with parental separation and bereavement. http://www.understandingchildhood.net/

• My Mind - The Box contains lots of different activities and tools to use at home to set yourself challenges, help yourself wind down and figure out who to talk to. http://mymind.org.uk/thebox

• Head Meds offers honest and easy to understand information about medication used to treat different mental health conditions. http://www.headmeds.org.uk/

• The Seven Apps and Websites are new apps and websites to support young people with mental health difficulties.
  http://www.innovationlabs.org.uk/the-seven-apps-websites/

• Time to Change offers information and advice for young people and parents about mental health and how to support someone who is struggling.http://www.time-to-change.org.uk

• B-eat offers information about eating disorders, recovery stories and how to get help. http://www.b-eat.co.uk/

• Self-harm: parents' experiences features videos of parents and other family members talking about their personal experiences of young people self-harming. http://www.healthtalk.org/peoples-experiences/mental-health/self-harm-parents-experiences/topics

• www.ncld.org

• www.helpguide.org/.../learning-disabilities-and-disorders.htm

• www.learningdisabilities.org.uk
• Merton and Croydon Summer Timetable