We are listening – to young people

Jim, I’m the Service Manager for Children’s Services.

The NHS Lanarkshire Child and Adolescent Intensive Treatment Team was established in 2012. The Team aims to reduce hospital admissions for young people under the age of 18 by increasing the support available to treat them at home; they also help to plan early discharge home following an inpatient stay in hospital.

The team which is based at Coathill Hospital work with young people and their families throughout Lanarkshire in association with community based mental health teams. They provide short term therapies, interventions and support; usually for a period of 6-12 weeks. Young people can be referred to the team via the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

The team operate a daily service to ensure support is always available for young people between 9am - 8pm Monday – Friday and from 9am – 5pm at weekends.

The team seek feedback regularly from young people and their families who have been supported by the service when they are discharged. Here are some of the comments the team has received:

“My 15 year old daughter has recently been diagnosed with depression. After trying to take her own life we were referred to CAHMS who have been amazing, helped me and my daughter try and get through this. Through CAHMS we were introduced to the CITT team who have been visiting our home every other night. These girls have been a godsend. They sit and talk through any worries or problems my daughter has. I really don’t know how we would have got through this without the Child and Adolescent Intensive Treatment Team”

 “The individuals that make up these teams are special people who I have found to be knowledgeable, caring and understanding. It mustn't be an easy job to help these kids and young people at a very difficult time in their lives”.

“I know that we are only at the beginning of our journey in getting my daughter well again and I'm so grateful that I have CAMHS and CITT to help us through it. My thanks to CAMHS and CITT they are life savers!”

NHS Lanarkshire recognises the significant impact this services provides to young people and their families and the service aims to continue delivering on the promise to do what they can to prevent admission to hospital and to reduce the time young people require hospital admission.

If you have an experience of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service you would like to share, please speak to a member of staff, respond on Patient Opinion, or visit the “Your Feedback” Section of the NHS Lanarkshire website to see the other ways to get in touch www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk