Who are the Primary Mental Health Workers?
The PMHW team in Fife is multi-disciplinary and includes Mental Health Nursing and Clinical Associate Applied Psychologists (CAAPs).
What do the Primary Mental Health Workers do?
The main role of the PMHWs is to provide specialist CAMHS knowledge and skills to all services that support emotional health and wellbeing needs of children and young people in Fife. The PMHWs are highly trained and skilled in assessing the needs of children and young people who are experiencing emotional or mental health difficulties. The PMHWs are also specially trained in liaison and signposting to facilitate collaboration between agencies and match children and young people’s emotional and mental health needs with the right service.
How do GPs refer?
Please continue to refer children and young people presenting with emotional or mental health difficulties to the ‘CAMHS/Child Psychology Referral Unit’ via SCI-gateway. The referral will then be processed by the team, and the family will be contacted to let them know what is happening to the referral. This correspondence will also be copied to the referring GP.
Newsflash - Primary Mental Health Worker team expanding
From 1 April 2019, the Primary Mental Health Worker (PMHW) team is expanding to help provide faster access to appropriate support for children and young people who go to their GP to discuss emotional or mental health difficulties. PMHWs will be accessible to all GPs in Fife.
When a child or young person goes to their GP with an emotional or mental health difficulty, the GP will refer them to the PMHW team for an assessment appointment. The purpose of that appointment is for the PMHW to assess the needs of the child or young person - not to start any type of therapy. The PMHW will discuss their difficulties with them, plan the next step and coordinate access to the most appropriate support.
Thank you for your support as this exciting initiative is rolled out.
For more information, please contact: eugene.adams@nhs.net
