Our Highland CAMHS Team

Admin Team

These are the first people you will meet in CAMHS, whether over the phone or in person at the Phoenix Centre. They are more than happy to help and answer any questions you may have about the CAMHS service.

Nurse Practitioners

Our nurses come up with a treatment plan that suits you and your family.

Our nurses focus on different areas, such as:

  • mental health

  • learning disability

  • autism spectrum conditions

  • eating disorders

Primary Mental Health Worker

Our Primary Mental Health Worker’s (PMHW) are often the first professional you may meet in CAMHS. We aim to build on the skills and resources of local communities. They act as local cross-agency networkers, providing initial assessments and offering support through consultation with all the professionals who work with you, and so, for example, they work closely with schools. Our PMHW’s can also provide direct support for you and your family.

 

Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists

Psychiatrists are medically trained doctors who specialise in working with children and young people with mental health problems and their families. They can offer a diagnosis of mental illness as well as prescribing medication if this is being considered as a part of a person’s overall care.

Clinical and Counselling Psychologists and Psychological Therapists

Clinical and counselling psychologists and psychological therapists aim to reduce distress and encourage psychological well-being. They help children and young people who may experience a wide range of difficulties. They offer the chance to develop a ‘formulation’ or ‘best understanding’ of why problems may have developed by exploring what has happened to the child or young person. They use the current research and clinical experience, along with the child or young person’s views and experiences, to develop a shared (evidence-based) understanding (which changes over time). Following this, they may provide a range of psychological therapies to children and young people and / or their parents / carers and families.  

Psychological Therapies

There are different types of psychological therapies which are designed to help with different problems. They all aim to reduce distress and promote well-being and understanding.

These may include:

  • acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

  • art psychotherapy

  • cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

  • cognitive analytic therapy (CAT)

  • eye-movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)

  • family-based treatment for eating disorders (FBT)

  • integrative psychotherapy

  • interpersonal therapy (IPT)

  • mindfulness-based CBT

  • systemic family therapy

  • trauma-based CBT

Assistant and Trainee Clinical Psychologists

We often have assistants and trainee clinical psychologists working in our CAMHS department.

Assistant psychologists have an undergraduate degree in psychology.

Trainee clinical psychologists are currently undertaking their doctorate in clinical psychology.

Assistants and trainees may complete assessments and complete therapeutic work with children and young people and their families, under the supervision of qualified clinical psychologists.