The Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) is a Hampshire CAMHS early help service designed to improve access to psychological therapies for young people, while also assisting schools to develop a whole-school approach to positive mental health and wellbeing.
Our practitioners work with young people and parents to manage mild to moderate mental health difficulties using a range of low-intensity and high intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT). These mental health difficulties can include low mood, worry, phobias, PTSD, OCD, sleep difficulties or behavioural difficulties.
MHST are assigned to certain schools across Havant, Gosport, Basingstoke, Aldershot, Rushmoor, Winchester, Eastleigh, New Forest and Andover. Please speak to your child’s school to see if there is a team in place in your school.
Mental Health Forums
The Mental Health Forum offers a unique opportunity for education professionals to come together to collaboratively explore mental health best practice. Facilitated by CAMHS clinicians, the half-termly forums provide a safe space for confidential case discussions to beheld within school settings. Check the dates and schools taking part here.
How is CBT delivered?
CBT is a talking therapy which looks at the links between our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behaviours. Within the MHST we have low intensity therapists known as Educational Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) and high intensity therapists known as CBT therapists.
Who a young person works with depends on the severity of the mental health difficulty as well as if there are any other factors to consider such as a learning need, a neurodiversity diagnosis, environmental or risk factors.
CBT is delivered either in a group context, on a one to one basis, or directly with parents by one of our practitioners depending on age and the nature of the presentation.
Sessions can be face to face or virtual depending on preference and circumstance.
Who else does the MHST work with?
Practitioners also engage with schools to help them improve their knowledge and level of support for mental health. We offer school consultations, training packages, workshops, professional discussion groups, curriculum content and much more. We are always looking for ways to support our schools and develop resources that meet their needs in an ever-changing landscape.
We also work alongside other CAMHS colleagues from specialist services as well as school nursing, school counsellors, educational psychologists and voluntary sector organisations.
If you feel that you or your child would benefit from the support of the MHST, then please speak to someone at your child’s school who can submit a referral to us.
