As a parent or carer, you play a crucial role in your child’s health and wellbeing.
We understand that this is not easy, especially if your child is having a difficult time or needs particular care.
This section includes information specifically for you as a parent or carer, to help you be as informed as possible to support your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
These FAQs have been suggested by parents and carers in our service who would have found this information useful to have known at the beginning of their NDCAMHS journey. We’ve worked together to put this information together for you.
What is National Deaf CAMHS (NDCAMHS)?
We are a specialised Deaf Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) covering Central England. The service is nationally commissioned as a specialised service, which means there is no cost for yourself.
What do we mean by mental health?
Mental health can be described as someone’s overall psychological and emotional wellbeing. A mental health problem is when a situation or problem effects the way someone thinks and feels and leads to them finding it hard to cope with family life, school or the wider world. It can happen to anyone.
Often, it occurs if someone experiences something traumatic, such as bereavement, bullying or abuse, or a stressful family life, but sometimes it can happen without these triggers. It isn’t the person’s fault and is nothing for them to be ashamed about.
It’s important to remember that just because someone has experienced a mental health problem at some stage in their life, it doesn’t mean they will always have this problem. People may have different ideas and cultural beliefs about mental health. Deaf CAMHS respects this and will always try to work with you and your family.
Who do we work with?
- Children and young people up to the age of 18 years old who are severely to profoundly deaf
- Teachers and education professionals working with these children
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) teams
- Other professionals who support deaf children and their families
- We may offer support to children of deaf adults (CODAs), coworking with their local mental health team.
What are the different needs NDCAMHS can support with?
We can help if a child or young person is having difficulties that are affecting their life, for example:
- Emotional difficulties, such as depression and anxiety.
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Behavioural difficulties.
- Trauma and attachment difficulties.
- Other emotional problems that would typically be seen by a CAMHS team.
- We also work with neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism and ADHD.
In addition to this we will work with local CAMHS services to provide care to children, young people and their families.
What do we offer for accepted referrals?
- Assessment of a child’s emotional and developmental needs.
- Therapeutic support which could include individual work, group work, working with families and medication.
- Advice and consultation which may include Deaf awareness.
- Advice and consultation for teachers, residential care staff and mental health professionals or any professional involved in the care or support of the young person.