Private CAMHS and young people's services

There is no doubt that growing up can be an emotional rollercoaster for many young people, and it can be difficult for a parent or carer to identify when a child’s behaviour is related to a mental health condition, and when they may need specialist help and support.

What is CAMHS?

CAMHS, short for child and adolescent mental health services, is a service that offers support and treatment to young people who are struggling with a range of mental health conditions. Another term used to describe a service that aids young individuals is CYPMHS, or children and young people's mental health services.

Youngsters can face a whole host of highs and lows during childhood and adolescence, as well as a wide range of unique pressures which can be related to school, friends, family, bullying, cyberbullying, social media, peer pressure, sexuality and puberty. Young people may struggle emotionally and engage in unhealthy behaviours, and a proportion may go on to develop persistent mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, stress and eating disorders. Our private CAMHS programmes are designed to help young people struggling with such challenges.

A private alternative to CAMHS

Our exceptional children’s mental health services at Priory is comprised of highly skilled child psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and other mental health professionals, many of whom are published experts in their field.

Priory’s specialist team, coupled with our extensive national network of mental health hospitals and wellbeing centres, mean that we are extremely well-placed to deliver world class treatment, in a location that is convenient for you.

All of the treatment provided, as part of our Young People’s Services is flexible, and can be tailored to each patient’s specific requirements and personal circumstances. We offer:

A range of treatment programmes that can be either scaled up or scaled down according to the intensity of the support that is required. These include:

• Outpatient treatment programmes (typically one hour per week)
• Day care programmes
• Inpatient treatment programmes

Therapy delivered in a number of different formats including:

• 1:1 therapy
• Group therapy
• Family therapy
• Online therapy

Tried and tested therapy types including:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Psychodynamic therapy
• Play therapy
• Dietetic input, supported meals, food exposure interventions and body image workshops for eating disorders in particular

Our private CAMHS assessments

If you know a child that is struggling, our experts are here to help. They are able to offer a range of private CAMHS assessments, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) and sensory assessments, as well as specialist educational assessments such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC).

Our experts offer comprehensive assessments, including evaluations for autism, as well as mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and psychosis. Learn more about our autism assessments here.

Our private CAHMS assessments are possible without the need for a GP referral, without having to join a waiting list, and without having to pay for a psychiatric assessment as a first step to accessing our services.

If you’re worried about a child, it’s important to get in touch right away. You can call us using our CAMHS contact number is: 0330 056 6020, or alternatively you can submit an online enquiry form and one of your team will be in touch shortly.

For more information on the process for entering treatment with us, please click here.

Why choose private CAMHS?

There are many reasons someone may choose a private healthcare service over a publicly funded service. Just some of these reasons include:

• Fast access to expert treatment
• Reduced waiting times
• Ability to receive care in a chosen facility
• Consistent care by the same team of healthcare professionals
• Positive rapport established with staff members

It’s important to remember that young people, parents and caregivers don’t have to struggle alone; expert psychiatric support for children and adolescents is available, and the most crucial first step is to seek specialist treatment.

Using a comprehensive range of evidence-based therapy programmes, and having leading experts in child and adolescent psychiatry, our exceptional Young People’s Services are dedicated to providing the best possible mental health support for children and young people.