Primary care mental health workers
About the service
The primary mental health worker (PMHW) service is staffed by professionals who have specialist knowledge about child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS). Primary mental health workers help professionals and workers within health and social care services to effectively recognise children and young people’s mental health strengths and difficulties. Primary mental health workers act as the contact point between health and social care services and the specialist child and adolescent mental health service.
By providing advice to health and social care services as well as schools and other organisations, primary mental health workers promote a preventative and early intervention approach to emotional health and well being.
The aim is to ensure accessible, responsive interventions for children and families are provided within a non stigmatising environment.
Accessing the service
If a health professional or any person working with children has concerns about a child or young person’s mental health they can seek advice from a primary mental health worker. The primary mental health worker will then offer advice about how they can support the young person further or alternatively will advise if a referral to specialist CAMHS is appropriate.
Please note: the primary mental health workers service is accessed by health and social care professionals only. If you have concerns about your mental health, please contact your GP in the first instance.
What will happen?
Following referral a primary mental health worker will get in contact with the member of staff who made the referral and talk over what emotional issues the child or young person is experiencing as well as what has already been tried to help the child. It may be that some advice on other interventions is sufficient to enable the referrer to continue to work with the child. Alternatively the primary mental health worker may offer a joint assessment so they can fully understand what is happening in the child’s life and develop a care plan which supports them and their family.
In some instances the mental health issues may be such that a referral to the specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health service is appropriate. However the child, young person and family remain central to the whole process and must give consent for the primary mental health worker to be involved or for further referrals to be made.
Contact details
Northumberland Care Trust’s primary mental health workers are based at the Ponteland Primary Care Centre. The service operates between 8.30-6pm.
Primary Mental Health Workers team
Ponteland PCC
Meadowfield estate
Ponteland
NE20 9SD
Tel: 01661 864582/867742
Useful websites
Samaratians - offer confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair. You can call their 24 hour helpline on: 0845 7 90 90 90
Young minds - provide information on child and adolescent mental health services for parents and professionals.
Childline – confidential 24-hour helpline
There 4 Me – emotional support and advice for 12 -14 year olds
FRANK – confidential advice and information on drugs
Need 2 know - health information and advice, with specific sections for 11-14 year olds and 14-16 year olds
