National Deaf Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)Northern ArmNewcastle, York and Manchester
National Deaf CAMHS is a highly specialised mental health service for deaf children and young people with mental health issues. The service also accepts referrals for hearing children of deaf parents (see below for who this service is for).
The service operates a team around the child and family model, employing deaf and hearing staff (including psychiatrists, psychologists, specialist deaf outreach workers, nurses, social workers and interpreters) to ensure that the child and family can work in their first or preferred language in a culturally sensitive way to address their mental health needs.
Location and access
The service in the north has centres in Manchester, Newcastle and York and covers the north of England, from the north Wales border across to north Lincolnshire and up to the Scottish border. The service is flexible about where meetings and sessions take place, so it does not matter whether you live close to a centre or not.
The team based in York covers the Yorkshire and The Humber region. Appointments are usually carried out at home, local CAMHS, in school or college or at another venue that is suitable and convenient for the child/young person and family.
Deaf CAMHS is a national service covering England, so if you are outside of the area described above, you can contact our other services based in the Midlands, South East or South West.
The office base in York is located on the ground floor with accessible parking close by. The team has a great deal of experience working with children and young people with SEND.
Access to this service
Families can contact the service directly for advice and information about the service but referrals must be made through a professional. This can be any professional the child, young person or family is working with and include G.P, Paediatrician, Teacher, School or Social Worker.
How we communicate with children, young people with SEND and their familiesAll staff are able to communicate in British Sign Language at different levels, but most at BSL Level 2 or higher. We employ deaf and hearing staff members, and BSL/English interpreters. We also work closely with freelance BSL/English and other language interpreters when appropriate.?