TranslateChild and Youth Mental Health Service
In an emergency, please call 000.
For support making a referral to Child and Youth Mental Health Services, contact the Access Mental Health - Helpline
Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS) support Tasmanian infants, children and young people up to 18 years. Our services also include:
- Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service (for women and their families in southern Tasmania)
- community family therapy.
Download our Child and Youth Mental Health Services fact sheet
What we do
We work closely with families to provide support and specialist treatment. This includes assessment, education and treatment services for mental difficulties such as:
- anxiety disorders
- attachment disorders
- eating disorders
- major depression and mood disorders
- mental health concerns in pregnancy and following birth
- psychosis
- severe emotional trauma and adjustment problems
- suicide risk and self-harm.
We also provide community family therapy if your child is receiving support from us.
How to access our service
- Contact Access Mental Health - Helpline on 1800 332 388.
- Referrals can also be made by your GP, other health professionals, school counsellor or youth worker.
Who will support you?
We have a diverse team of health professionals experienced in working with young people. Our team work together and consult with each other on a regular basis. You will be supported by:
- administrative support staff
- child and perinatal psychiatrists
- clinical nurse specialists
- clinical psychologists
- occupational therapists
- psychiatric registrars
- social workers
- speech pathologist (available in the South only).
How we help you
Before we undertake any treatment and support, we consider:
- your child and your family situation
- how the treatment may impact their future
- what other services may help or need to be involved.
Referral process
- If your referral is accepted, we allocate your case to a professional clinician.
- Sometimes you might have to go on a waiting list.
- If we have yours and your child’s permission, we will request information and reports from other services. For example, your child’s school or GP.
Treatment process
- At your first appointment we spend time talking with your child (and in some situations with you) about why they are here.
- We also ask about school, medical concerns, who is in their family and how everyone gets on.
- We also like to find out about what they like, skills and strengths.
- Once we have a good idea of what the problem is, we will work on a care plan.
- This is called an Individual Service Plan and includes your child’s goals and how to meet them.
Individual service plans
Individual service plans (ISPs) are agreements between you/your child and their clinician (case manager) about the diagnosis, treatment and its focus (and your goals). An ISP includes:
- the major problems
- treatment goals – how do you and your family want things to be?
- strategies to achieve goals – what are we going to do to help?
- people involved and their responsibilities
- timeframes – how long will we try this for?
We will regularly review the ISP so that we know we are on the right track.
Assessments and treatments offered
The below treatments may be offered under an individual service plan.
| Treatment | Overview |
|---|---|
| Community treatment | Most treatment occurs in the community. It may also involve liaison with your child’s school and other significant people in their life. There are several types of treatment that may be recommended by your clinician. The decision to choose a particular treatment is usually determined by the type of mental health problem the child or adolescent is experiencing. Your clinician will offer treatment(s) known to be the most helpful with this type of problem and will discuss the reasons why these treatments have been chosen. A combination of therapies is often the most appropriate in addressing mental health problems efficiently. Treatments other than those outlined here are available. If one is recommended by your Clinician, ask for more information. |
| Crisis intervention | Crisis Intervention is a quick response to a serious, perhaps life-threatening, situation. This involves a brief assessment and planning so that a further crisis can be avoided. |
| Assessment of specific aspects | Assessment of specific difficulties may be recommended if we need more information to determine the most appropriate treatment plan. This may include assessment of sensory/sensory-motor development, and cognitive/thinking or problem-solving abilities. |
| Medication | Medication can be of value in the treatment of certain disorders. When medication is recommended it is usually in conjunction with other forms of therapy. |
| Family therapy | We invite close family members to be involved in finding solutions to current problems. |
| Group therapy | Group therapy enables patients to help each other through their interaction and an opportunity to belong under the guidance of experienced staff. |
| Parental therapy | We offer support to parents who have become stuck in negative cycles over their child’s problems on how to parent these children more effectively. |
| Individual psychotherapy | Psychotherapy is where we develop a therapeutic relationship with the patient to promote changes in their mental state and understanding of the world. |
| Supportive therapy | Supportive therapy involves assisting you to develop coping strategies in order to deal with your current situations. This may involve seeking out support groups in the community. |
| Cognitive Behaviour Therapy | Cognitive behaviour therapy is a technique used to assist you to overcome problems by thinking about them in a different way. |
| Psychoeducation | This provides information to the client or family about their mental health and answers questions that they may have about their condition. |
Your rights and personal information
We welcome your feedback.
View how to provide feedback to Mental Health Services
Our facilities
| Region | Address | Opening hours |
|---|---|---|
| North | 46 Cameron Street Launceston TAS 7250 | Monday to Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm |
| North West | Reece House Level 5 46 Mount Street Burnie TAS 7320 | Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm |
| South | Clare House 26 Clare Street New Town TAS 7008 | Monday to Friday 8:45am - 5:00pm |
Community sector services and resources
Helpful services
| Service | Overview | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Taz Kids Club Anglicare Tasmania | Taz Kids Clubs provides support to children aged between 7-17 whose parents have a mental illness. The Clubs run after school for eight weeks during the school semester. They provide support and education about mental illness through a variety of creative and artistic projects. | 6213 3555 |
| Taz Kids Activity Days Anglicare Tasmania | Activity days provide support to children aged between 7-17 whose parents have a mental illness. Activity days run five times a year to give young people and opportunity to get away and have fun. | 6213 3555 |
| Parent Support Programs Anglicare Tasmania | Parent Support Programs are early intervention programs designed to support families with parental mental illness. | 6213 3555 |
Helpful resources
Please visit the following websites for more information and support.
