Mental health service transitions for young people
Practice example: Youth team within the Central Norfolk Early Intervention in Psychosis team
Purpose
The youth team is a dedicated team within the Central Norfolk Early Intervention in Psychosis Service (CNEIT) working specifically with 14-18 year olds accessing the Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) service.
The youth team has been specially recruited and trained to work with people at the younger end of the age range of people accessing the EIP service. Young people in this age group can receive a five year service rather than a usual three year service in order to reduce the need for unnecessary transition between services and make smoother transfers to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) or back into primary care.
The youth team is a dedicated team within the Central Norfolk Early Intervention in Psychosis Service (CNEIT) working specifically with 14-18 year olds accessing the Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) service.
The youth team has been specially recruited and trained to work with people at the younger end of the age range of people accessing the EIP service. Young people in this age group can receive a five year service rather than a usual three year service in order to reduce the need for unnecessary transition between services and make smoother transfers to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) or back into primary care.
Resources
Existing CNEIT practitioners who had expressed an interest in developing work with 14-18 year olds were recruited into the team. External recruitment was also carried out to develop the team further. The focus was placed on employing practitioners that could demonstrate enthusiasm for working with this client group, and show excellent, creative engagement skills and innovative ideas for service development.
When the team was at full complement it consisted of:
- Band 7 Clinical Lead/Care Co-ordinator
- Part-time Band 6 Care Co-ordinators
- Band 5 Nurse
- Band 5 Occupational Therapist
- Part-time Band 8a Clinical Psychologist
- Part-time Support Worker
- Part-time Band 5 Assistant Psychologist
Medical responsibility continued to be provided by the CAMHS consultant psychiatrist covering the appropriate geographical area.
Due to research funding ending for some fixed term posts and the need to meet cost improvement targets for the whole CNEIT they currently have a reduced resource within the youth team affecting some of the posts.
Link to full details of practice example.
