Our family has a long history of involvement with CAMHS through PCH and the community CAMHS centres. My child's recent admission recently ended. They were admitted, the consultant saw them the following day and we were not called by them with any information. I called and asked and spoke to an after hours doctor who had not met my child. It was at the end of my call that they even mentioned the name of the consultant my child was seeing. Then it was the weekend. Nothing happens over the weekend. On the Monday the consultant spoke to my child's private psychologist on the phone - although I consented to this, I only found out about it afterward as they did not let me know it was happening, or what was going to be discussed. Then there was a family meeting and immediate discharge home. My child came home with a Treatment Support and Discharge Plan that was inaccurate, mixing up information from several past admissions and I felt basically not very helpful.
I currently have an open complaint to the minister about another CAMHS not accepting my child for community-based services. Apparently the private psychiatrist and psychologist that we have sourced ourselves is enough support and they are not eligible for their services.
Basically, our experiences with the adolescent mental health services in this state have been woeful. Through multiple admissions and serious risk and crisis - numbering nearly 10 - over the past two years we have received only risk containment support, with ambulance, ED and short admissions where I feel nothing is actually done all that is provided.
I feel disgusted with the support provided to my child and my family. I feel it is a miracle that my family have not become part of the youth suicide statistics in this state, in my opinion it certainly isn't because of the support from CAMHS.
"Adolescent mental health services in WA"
About: Perth Children's Hospital Perth Children's Hospital Nedlands 6009
Posted by conpc22 (as ),
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