Mental health is just like physical health: everybody has it and we need to take care of it.
Good mental health means being generally able to think, feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life. But if you go through a period of poor mental health you might find the ways you’re frequently thinking, feeling or reacting become difficult, or even impossible, to cope with. This can feel just as bad as a physical illness, or even worse.
Mental health problems affect around one in four people in any given year. They range from common problems, such as depression and anxiety, to rarer problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
It is important that if you have concerns that you talk to someone about these concerns. This may be a parent, teacher, friend or School Nurse. They will support you in getting the help needed.
If you are under 18 years old, feeling low and think that you may need some specialist support, you or your family / carer can now self-refer into services rather than wait for a GP or other health professional to refer you.
Visit the following website for information or to self-refer: https://www.healthyyoungmindslsc.co.uk/information/children-and-young-people
Kooth is a web based confidential support service for children and young people. You will have the opportunity to have a text-based conversation with a qualified counsellor. Counsellors are available from 12 noon to 10pm on weekdays and 6pm to 10pm on weekends, every day of the year on a drop-in basis. For more information visit Kooth.com
WeHeartCBT is a collection of resources aimed at helping children and young people who are struggling with symptoms of anxiety and/or low mood. Resources are based on a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approach and are for mental health professionals, schools and parents/families. Visit Weheartcbt.com for more information.
CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service)
CAMHS holds a drop-in session every Monday between 2 – 4pm. It’s held at Whitegate Drive Health Centre on the second floor.
Mental Health Drop In Sessions for Young People Aged 10 to 16
Child and adolescent support and help enhanced response team (CASHER team)
The CASHER team is an out-of-hours service for mental health support for young people.
Who is it for?
The service is for children and young people (up to age 25) who have worries about their mental health and other issues.
When is it open?
- Monday to Friday from 5pm – 10pm
- Saturday and Sunday from 10am – 8pm
- This includes weekends and bank holidays, including Christmas day and Easter Sunday.
What do they do?
The team meets with children and young people to discuss ways of improving how they feel. The team normally completes an assessment and communicates this with other people involved with the service user’s care eg GPs and schools (with consent of the young person).
Groups ( REACH-OUT Groups ) are run in two community locations:
- Blackpool: Tuesdays 6pm – 8pm at Talbot and Brunswick Family Centre, Gorton St.
- Fleetwood: Wednesdays 6pm – 8.30pm at Milton St Youth Centre (the Zone). These groups will be weekly from 2nd Jan
Weekend Drop-In Clinics are held 2pm – 3pm Saturdays and Sundays at the Meeting Room, Fylde Coast Birth Centre, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals.
Why do we need a CASHER team?
The CASHER team carries out assessments with children / young people and after discussion / agreement with the young person, we will always try to put a meaningful plan in place to support the service user. Signposting and referrals to other services is part of the role of the CASHER team, these include: CAMHS, YoutherapY, NCompass, A.C.E, Headstart, UR Potential.
The service aims to reduce unnecessary admissions of children and young people to hospital. Prior to the service, many people under the age of 16 were admitted to the children’s ward in hospital to be seen by CAMHS during office hours.
How do I contact the service?
CASHER phone line: 07810 696565 (within shift hours )
If the team is not on duty, please email firstname.lastname@example.org
Suicide prevention support: https://www.papyrus-uk.org