Many years ago I contacted the NMC to ask why CAMHS were employing non mental health nurses in specialist mental health roles, a practice that still exists. I received no answer. Having read your paper can I suggest that the issue is not only one of treatment but also assessment and treatment by appropriately qualified professionals
12 years my youngest son waited on CAMHS list, during that time health authorities merged and twice he mysteriously fell off the list. He was labelled as a school refuser and was apparently only suffering from emotional avoidance behaviour and his anxieties were labelled as petty and trivial - he was made to sign a mock contract to commit to going to school. He felt ignored, depressed,frustrated and furious. CAMHS never did assess him for autism but contracted it out to another company (which we had to travel miles for and travelling is one of his meltdown inducers). Finally in 2023, he was diagnosed with not 'just social anxiety' but Asperger's - did they offer advice? No, it's a case of here is a list of websites you might find helpful and then when they hit 16 the NHS say we don't help older ones off you go. All of this happened at the same time as being hospitalised for chronic Ulcerative Colitis (which was another part of school refusal). I'd like to say that things are looking up but he failed his GCSES and is doing retakes. He has been absent a lot due to suppressed immunity & IBD and in spite of me explaining to college from the start about his problems, the bosses on high insist on stressing him out with staged behaviour intervention, they did say that I should apply for an EHCP but also said that he'd be unlikely to get one! So where does that leave him? The lecturers are pleased with his project works and he always catches up if he falls behind and works harder than the 'normal' students and has been told that he is amazing at his chosen subject and should get distinctions but..... nowadays 100% attendance is the only thing that will get you there. He is interested in politics, ethics and philosophy and very switched on about it but due to his poor GCSE results, his hopes were dashed. My elder son was also failed by his NHS, CAMHS and education authority - he has always wanted to teach but GCSE results weren't quite high enough so he thought about doing it via a training scheme with a placement - they gave him a trial telephone interview which he can't cope with and hates (he has autism,memory problems and is sight impaired) and said that the employer's feedback was 'We do not want another person of that type here with small children!' Sorry to ramble but so many of us have had our futures ruined by lack of support and plain old prejudice.
Many years ago I contacted the NMC to ask why CAMHS were employing non mental health nurses in specialist mental health roles, a practice that still exists. I received no answer. Having read your paper can I suggest that the issue is not only one of treatment but also assessment and treatment by appropriately qualified professionals
12 years my youngest son waited on CAMHS list, during that time health authorities merged and twice he mysteriously fell off the list. He was labelled as a school refuser and was apparently only suffering from emotional avoidance behaviour and his anxieties were labelled as petty and trivial - he was made to sign a mock contract to commit to going to school. He felt ignored, depressed,frustrated and furious. CAMHS never did assess him for autism but contracted it out to another company (which we had to travel miles for and travelling is one of his meltdown inducers). Finally in 2023, he was diagnosed with not 'just social anxiety' but Asperger's - did they offer advice? No, it's a case of here is a list of websites you might find helpful and then when they hit 16 the NHS say we don't help older ones off you go. All of this happened at the same time as being hospitalised for chronic Ulcerative Colitis (which was another part of school refusal). I'd like to say that things are looking up but he failed his GCSES and is doing retakes. He has been absent a lot due to suppressed immunity & IBD and in spite of me explaining to college from the start about his problems, the bosses on high insist on stressing him out with staged behaviour intervention, they did say that I should apply for an EHCP but also said that he'd be unlikely to get one! So where does that leave him? The lecturers are pleased with his project works and he always catches up if he falls behind and works harder than the 'normal' students and has been told that he is amazing at his chosen subject and should get distinctions but..... nowadays 100% attendance is the only thing that will get you there. He is interested in politics, ethics and philosophy and very switched on about it but due to his poor GCSE results, his hopes were dashed. My elder son was also failed by his NHS, CAMHS and education authority - he has always wanted to teach but GCSE results weren't quite high enough so he thought about doing it via a training scheme with a placement - they gave him a trial telephone interview which he can't cope with and hates (he has autism,memory problems and is sight impaired) and said that the employer's feedback was 'We do not want another person of that type here with small children!' Sorry to ramble but so many of us have had our futures ruined by lack of support and plain old prejudice.