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South Bedfordshire/Luton CAMHS

South Bedfordshire/Luton CAMH Team
1st Floor Charter House, Alma Street
Bedfordshire
Luton
LU1 2PL

 

01525 638613/614 

9am-5pm Monday to Friday

 

https://elft.nhs.uk/camhs

South Bedfordshire/Luton CAMHS

Please note that our CAMHSTalk Podcasts are now available on our YouTube channel.

Chameleon Magazine for CAMHS Service Users, created, designed & edited by CAMHS service users. March 2023 issue here. 

A guide to our straightforward process of making a referral - for children, young people, families, schools and carers: 

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) provides outpatient assessments, support and treatment for children and young people up to the age of 18 experiencing moderate to severe mental health problems. The service works to provide them with a greater knowledge of their condition and improve coping techniques.  See our specialist CAMHS website for more information.

We provide help to children and to the wider family, including those with living with foster parents, adopted children and young people living in children’s homes. The service may see children and adolescents on their own, with their parents or with their family, and may also see parents on their own.

Children, adolescents and their families referred to the service may be experiencing different kinds of problems. These may include:

  • Eating difficulties
  • Emotional feelings such as those of unhappiness, loneliness
  • Fears and anxieties
  • Parents having problems managing their children or feeling that their own difficulties are affecting their children
  • Relationship problems
  • Traumatic experiences

The service is also available to help children, adolescents and their families with mental health issues related to physical or learning disabilities.

The service consists of a multi-disciplinary team which offers a range of expertise including:

  • Art Psychotherapists
  • Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists
  • Clinical Psychologists
  • Nurse Specialists
  • Psychotherapists
  • Social Workers
  • Family Psychotherapist 
  • Other Child & Adolescent Clinicians

Local council support for children, young people & their families:

Luton Council Local SEND Offer

Here is a short film describing what to expect at your first CAMHS appointment, and what to do to keep you and the people you know, safe from COVID-19: 

COVID - Ensuring your safety at CAMHS from Copperwheat Films on Vimeo.

CAMHS Dunstable - A Walk-through with Leo

Referrals can be made by GPs, healthcare professionals, schools and colleges
You will need to complete the CAMHS Referral Form for Professionals. Ideally, this will be completed in collaboration with the young person, parent or carer. This will enable us to decide how best to help the client and their family.
Completed referral forms should be emailed to Elft.Luton-CAMHS-Referrals@nhs.net

Scroll to the end of the page to download both professional and self-referral forms. 
 

We also accept self-referrals
From April 2020, young people or parents/carers who live in Bedfordshire and Luton will be able to self-refer to their CAMHS service. Please see the attached form which should be emailed to Elft.Luton-CAMHS-Referrals@nhs.net
The team will screen all referrals for risk and need. For any referrals that we are unable to accept during these challenging times, support will be provided in the form of psychoeducation and self-help.

The Community Eating Disorder Service (CEDS):

The Community Eating Disorder service (CEDS) is a single dedicated team developed within tier 3 CAMHS across Luton CCG and Bedfordshire CCG and includes a range of CAMHS professionals. The team leads on the direct delivery of interventions for children and young people presenting with moderate and severe presentations of eating disorders. The service model includes an appropriate emphasis on prevention and early intervention.
 

Neuro Developmental Team (NDT):

This is a countywide Tier 3 service, where Tier 2 services such as nurse-led sleep clinic, nurse-led behavioural clinics, locality parenting support teams, CHUMS and Child Development Centre assessments (as appropriate) have been previously. Referrals are based on young people presenting with a combination of both: evidence of learning disability (IQ<70) and / or a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or severe challenging behaviour and or moderate to severe.
 

Adolescent Mental Health Team (AMHT):

The specialist team work with young people age 13-17 presenting with severe mental illness and behaviour indicating a high risk to themselves or others. This will include young people who are psychotic, bipolar, severely depressed or dysphoric and emotionally unstable, or with other conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder where there is a high level of dysfunction, and those isolated to a marked degree when it is considered a significant mental illness is likely. The main function of the model is to provide an alternative to in-patient admission through community based interventions.
 

Emotional and Behavioural Team:

The team provides assessment and treatment for young people with emotional and / or behavioural difficulties unless already managed by any of the above specialist teams.
 

​Dunstable Clinic:

5 Beech Close
Dunstable
Bedfordshire
LU6 3SD

Clinical

Conditions:

ADHD
Anxiety
Autism
Bipolar Disorder
Depression
Eating Disorders
Low mood
OCD
Personality disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder
Psychosis
Self-harm

Clinical speciality:

Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services
 

Treatment mode:

Community

Information Leaflets
Self Referral form for CAMHS South Bedfordshire/Luton
Luton CAMHS referral form for professionals_June 2023