CAMHS tiers

CAMHS services are organised through a tiered system. The below diagram shows an overview of each of these tiers. HPFT offer CAMHS services at Tier 3 and Tier 4.

Tier 1 provide early intervention and prevention services and are provided through schools and children’s centres, health visitors, school nurses, GPs, Youth Connexions, helplines and websites.

Tier 2 provides early help and targeted services. Some of Hertfordshire’s targeted child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), Step 2, are provided by Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust.

For more information please visit https://www.hct.nhs.uk/our-services/step-2-camhs/

Support also comes through community counselling, counselling or mentoring in schools, education psychologists, education support centres, targeted youth support teams, family support and http://www.kooth.com/ free online counselling for 10-25 year olds.

Tier 3 provides specialist CAMHS, including eating disorder services. Hertfordshire’s specialist CAMHS are provided by us here at Hertfordshire Partnership NHS University Foundation Trust (HPFT). 

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust (HCT) provides the Positive Behaviour, Autism, Learning Disability and Mental Health Service (PALMS), a specialist multi-disciplinary approach to children and young people aged 0-19 who have a global learning disability and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder and their families.

For more information please visit https://www.hct.nhs.uk/our-services/palms/

Tier 4 means specialised day and inpatient units, where people with more severe mental health problems can be assessed and treated. Our CAMHS Inpatient unit Forest House is an example.