The CAMHS Substance Use Service works at Step 3 of the Stepped Care Model and is funded by the Public Health Agency. The service is very much integrated within the SHSCT CAMHS Teams and works across the entire Southern Health and Social Care Trust.
We offer a community based, therapeutic treatment service to Children and Young People under 18 years of age with co-morbid presentation of a significant substance use problem alongside a mental health or emotional health difficulty. Outreach support is promoted as a means of engaging a population who are often considered ‘hard to reach’.
The service responds flexibly to the needs of individual Young People, with a constant awareness of the environmental and family factors that may impact their capacity or willingness to actively make positive changes to their lives.
Referrals to the service are accepted from GP’s where Substance Use has been identified as an area of concern as well as from other CAMHS professionals if a Young Person is already accessing CAMH Services.