Clinicians, mental health services and young people alike have all advocated passionately for improved transitions between Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to adult mental health services. Consequently, the Scottish Government committed to do this under Action 21 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027.
At the invitation of the Scottish Government and CAMHS in Edinburgh, SYP and a group of young volunteers developed the Transition Care Plan (TCP). TCP helps children and young people navigate their transition from CAMHS to adult mental health services.
Using a human rights-based approach,TCP puts young people’s voices at the heart of this transition by enabling them to have their say and communicate vital information on areas such as their wellbeing, lifestyle, current treatment, and knowledge of the transition.
This unique resource aids young people and clinicians in creating a smoother transition in what can be a difficult process and, as a result, improve the quality of treatment they receive.
TCP’s impact
Since TCP’s launch in August 2018, MSYPs have been working with National Mental Health Services to ensure that the resource is being used across Scotland.
In April 2019, Emily Harle MSYP met with Grant Archibald, CEO of NHS Tayside. He pledged to:
Listen to young people, hear their opinions and experiences and develop our services to better meet their needs.
In April 2019, Maddie Brown MSYP, GirlGuiding Scotland, met with the Operational Manager at CAMHS and Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist at Mental Health at NHS Borders. They pledged to:
Initiate TCP to within NHS Borders CAMHS and Adult Services to ensure effective transitions.
