CAMHS: My Autistic Child's been referred... Now what?
Your child has been referred to CAMHS, but what are you supposed to do now? This article contains advice on interactions and questions you should be asking professionals.
I have written at length about how Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have been failing our Autistic young people. Despite the Autistic communities wide spread knowledge that this service is not fit for purpose, our children still get referred to them. So what, if anything, should be happening when a referral happens? What do you, as the parent carer, need to know from them? As a qualified independent mental health advocate working specifically with Autistic people, here is what I would be doing and asking.
Make CAMHS professionals create a paper trail
What CAMHS say and what they do is often at odds with each other. Much of the communication may take place over the phone or face-to-face. While this is great for getting quick answers (sometimes), it's easy for professionals to back track or deny things that have been said. For this reason, I would strongly recommend asking for all communications to be put into writing. It's okay to use the phone, or be there in person, but ask them to summarise and confirm their words in an email or letter.
Not only does it make it easier to keep track of anything you need to do, it will make professionals think twice about committing to things they can't follow through on. Another benefit to written communication is that should things go down hill and require investigation by third-parties, there is a clear chronology and record of interactions. Don't forget, if you feel you have been misrepresented, tell them in writing so that there is a clear record of your disagreement.
What questions should I be asking CAMHS professionals?
