The role of outpatient Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) nurses working within CAYS is as follows:

• Receiving and processing new referral tickets pertaining to child and adolescent mental health.
• Triaging incoming cases and determine urgency, offer appropriate response time.
• Conduct comprehensive initial intake assessments, including Mental State Examinations and Risk Assessments.
• Presenting cases to the multidisciplinary team (MDT) for collaborative care planning and coordinating follow-up with the legal guardians, clients, schools, and relevant stakeholders.
• Addressing queries and concerns from schools, parents, care homes, and other parties related to child and adolescent mental health and direct towards appropriate services and support as necessary.
• Familiarizing children, adolescents and stakeholders with CAMHS services and facilitate accessibility to mental health care.
• Liaising with schools and the education department with regards to the mental health support of their students.
• Liaising with Child Welfare Services such as CPS or other entities/stakeholders as required.
• Conduct school-based observations and assessments as part of the neuro developmental assessment and diagnostic pathways.
• Form part of the MDT for Neurodevelopmental Pathways, participate in the MDT discussions and update, collate and conclude final reports.
• Contribute to the Innovations Team, catering for hard-to-reach individuals with increased risk, also perform home visits.
• Form part of the MDT Family Focus Clinic, which aims to foster supportive family relationships and strengthen family dynamics.
• Monitoring clients’ physical and psychological parameters, assess/compare results and take necessary action.
• Administration of depot medications and other psychiatric medications that are required on site.
• Act as community keyworkers as part of the Community Treatment Order requirements/plans for children and adolescents that fall under the Mental Health Act.
• Networking and promoting CAMHS services through public engagement initiatives and invites such as radio interventions, conferences, seminars for the general public.
• Organize school talks for students and professionals working with students and seminars for professionals working within the health sector.
• Frequent liaison with the Acute, Crisis and Inpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services.
• Proper handover to the adult mental health teams to ensure smooth transition of adolescents who reach the age of eighteen and are transferred to the adult community services.