Community CAMHS offers mental health assessment and multidisciplinary intervention for children and young people up to the age of 18 years.

Young people experiencing mental health difficulties may access support through friends and family and/or services, such as their GP, school nurse / psychologist / counsellor or a private psychologist (with support from their GP through a Mental Health Care Plan), headspace or other services.

Community CAMHS works with children and young people who experience significant mental health concerns with a severe impact on their functioning.

If you need urgent help or advice

Community CAMHS is unable to provide a mental health crisis response or after-hours services.

Please call CAMHS Crisis Connect on 1800 048 636 (open 24 hours, 7 days)

If the situation is life threatening call 000 or present at any hospital emergency department.

What does CAMHS do?

Community CAMHS works with children, young people and their families, across the Perth metro area. We are a multidisciplinary team made up of psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, Aboriginal mental health workers and administrative staff.

The service links schools and other services to provide a multi-agency approach to:

Assess and diagnose mental health conditions
Support recovery by helping and collaborating with children, young people and their families to identify realistic goals or changes that build on their existing strengths
Empower children and young people to identify, express and communicate their needs, improve their health and wellbeing, and feel confident in knowing where and how to get additional support if necessary
Assist children, young people and their families to better manage their mental health difficulties by using evidence-based approaches such as:
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
- Systemic Family Therapy
- Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and
- Sometimes pharmacological intervention (prescribed medication)

The range of concerns that Community CAMHS can support you with includes:

Psychotic symptoms (you can also consider a referral to hYEPP – the headspace Youth Early Psychosis Program – which is a specialist service for early psychosis. Visit the headspace website to see if there is a program in your area)
Severe and complex mood related symptoms
Severe and complex anxiety symptoms (e.g. severe generalised social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorders, phobias)
Persisting suicidal ideation, recent suicide attempt, and/or serious risk of harm to self or others due to severe and complex mental health challenges
Eating disorders
Co-morbid severe and complex mental health symptoms related to substance use
Severe and complex symptoms resulting from trauma

Who do we see?

As a specialist mental health service, Community CAMHS works with children and young people up to age 18, located in the Perth metro area, who have severe, complex and persistent mental health symptoms that impact on psychosocial functioning (at home, school or socially), and/ or who present with significant risk (of harm, to self and/or others).

For neurodevelopmental concerns:

If you are seeking a diagnostic assessment for a neurodevelopmental condition (e.g. Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) or if the child/young person is already diagnosed with one of these conditions and you are seeking management of these conditions and/or prescription of stimulant medications, please see your GP for a referral to:

the Child Development Service or
a private paediatrician or a psychiatrist

Children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions who are also experiencing severe mental health concerns are seen at Community CAMHS.

For mild to moderate mental health concerns:

For 12 to 25 year olds, contact headspace or Youthfocus
For all ages, see your GP for a referral to a private therapist under Medicare’s Better Access initiative

How do I get referred?

We accept referrals from a range of clinicians and services involved with children and young people's care. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

your GP
medical specialist (Paediatrician, Psychiatrist)
a private therapist
another CAMHS service
school psychologist
Department of Communities (e.g. Child Protection)

We encourage referrers to complete our Referral Form

If you identify as Aboriginal, please ask your referrer to indicate this in the appropriate place on the referral form. This will help us to offer you the opportunity to connect with one of our Aboriginal Mental Health Workers (where one is available) to support you in accessing our service and along your treatment journey.

If you are unsure about how to get referred, you can call your local Community CAMHS clinic to speak to a clinician who can provide advice and support on referrals and options in your area.

Find your local clinic's catchment area and contact details