Pillar: Navigating the system
Read time: 5 min read
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is the NHS service in England that provides assessment and treatment for children and young people with mental health difficulties, including OCD and autism (in some areas).
If you’ve been referred to CAMHS, or you’re hoping to be, it’s natural to want to understand what to expect. The process can feel opaque, and different areas organise their services differently. Here’s a general overview of what typically happens.
Waiting times
One of the most difficult realities of CAMHS referrals is the waiting time. In many parts of England, waits of 12 to 18 months — or longer — are not unusual for an initial assessment appointment. This is one reason why preparing carefully and using the waiting period productively is so important.
Some areas have a triage process, where a clinician will call you relatively quickly after referral to gather more information and determine the urgency of your child’s needs. Others simply place the child on a waiting list without any initial contact.
If you have not heard anything after three months, it is entirely reasonable to contact the service and ask for an update.
The first appointment
The first CAMHS appointment is usually an assessment — a conversation rather than a test. You will almost certainly attend with your child, and the clinician may want to speak to you separately and to your child separately at different points.
The clinician will ask about your child’s development, their current difficulties, their life at home and school, and your family history. They are building a picture — not looking for a single definitive sign.
You do not need to have all the answers. You do not need to be certain about anything. The clinician’s job is to help make sense of what you’re describing.
What happens after
After the initial assessment, the clinician will usually share their formulation — their understanding of what is happening for your child and what might help. This might include a diagnosis, or it might not — sometimes several appointments are needed before a clear picture emerges.
They may recommend a specific type of therapy, medication, a further assessment, or a combination. They may also share the case with a wider team before making recommendations.
Whatever the outcome, you are entitled to ask questions and to understand the reasoning behind any recommendation.
This post is part of the Lumara guide series for parents. Lumara Screen is an evidence-informed online screening tool for parents concerned about repetitive behaviours, rituals, or routines in their child. Free to complete — full personalised report £7.99.
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Ready to understand what you're seeing? The Lumara screening tool takes around 10 minutes and gives you a personalised, evidence-informed report to share with your GP or specialist.
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