Open Minds (CAMHS)

Welcome to The Open Minds (CAMHS) website

Illustration of 1:1 child therapy session

Open Minds (CAMHS) is the new name for Calderdale CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services).

You can use this website to find out more about the Open Minds (CAMHS) service for children and young peoples’ mental health in Calderdale, including how to make a referral.

We would also encourage you to visit the partnership website which has been designed by young people for young people, as well as parents/carers and professionals. The site has a range of helpful information, videos, apps and resources.

About Open Minds (CAMHS)

Calderdale Open Minds (CAMHS) is a partnership of organisations who are commissioned to deliver signposting, advice, and mental health interventions for children and young people aged 5 to 18 and their families.

Delivery partners in Calderdale Open Minds (CAMHS) are Northpoint Wellbeing, South West Yorkshire NHS Partnership Foundation Trust (SWYFT), and Kooth. You can find out more about the different organisations that provide Open Minds (CAMHS) on the FAQ page.

We work alongside other organisations, including children’s social care, schools, school nurses, and other community-based organisations.

The Open Minds (CAMHS) partnership’s approach is based on a person’s individual need. It focusses on making help and support accessible through organisations working together to provide emotional health and wellbeing services.

Partner organisations work closely and share knowledge so a young person should only tell their story once, before being signposted to the right place for support, advice or treatment.

Within Open Minds (CAMHS), Northpoint operate a First Point of Contact which is the single point of access for referrals (including Autism and ADHD) in Calderdale.  We also offer consultation, support, advice, training, and referral guidance to parents/carers, young people and professionals.

For more information on how we use your data at Northpoint please see the Privacy Notice for services provided by Northpoint as part of Calderdale Open Minds (CAMHS)

Illustration of 1:1 therapy session
Illustration of a diverse group of team members

Our team

The organisations delivering Open Minds (CAMHS) employ a team of qualified practitioners with a wide range of skills and backgrounds who deliver mental health interventions to children, young people and families.

Partnership Working

There is a comprehensive network of emotional health and wellbeing services in Calderdale, including those who form part of the wider Open Minds Partnership. We work closely with partner agencies to help ensure that the holistic needs of children, young people and families are met. Our partners’ website has details of a wide range of local and national support services.

Illustration of team meeting, with two people doing a presentation

What can Open Minds (CAMHS) help with?

Open Minds (CAMHS) may be able to help when emotional or mental health problems which significantly affect a child’s daily life have persisted despite a preventative or universal services intervention.

A referral to Open Minds (CAMHS) should be considered if some or all of the following issues are present:
• Serious deterioration in self-care
• All/most family members highly distressed
• Non-school attendance as a result of mental health presentation
• Serious deterioration in academic attainment related to mental health presentation
• Social withdrawal (e.g. no contact with friends)
• Relations with peers leading to serious risk-taking

Where children and young people are experiencing normal reactions to adverse life events (e.g. sadness after a bereavement/loss, or mild levels of anxiety about exams) we will often recommend the use of self-help resources or on-line support. We may also signpost to partner organisations who promote community activities or who may be better placed to provide more specialist support.

Open Minds (CAMHS) can also provide consultation to professionals in their work with children and young people with mental health difficulties. Please call us on 01422 300 001 for a consultation.

Request support here

What does Open Minds provide?

Open Minds (CAMHS) provides an integrated service which offers a range of support options depending on the needs of the young person/family. These include digital therapy, face to face, and phone/video support.

A range of short term interventions can be offered depending on the needs of the young person/family.  Longer interventions are offered on a case by case basis for more complex and enduring difficulties.

Specialist pathways

Once a referral has been made to Open Minds (CAMHS), there are clear care pathways within the partnership for children with Learning Disabilities, young people with potential eating disorders, young people with potential ADHD, and young people with potential ASD (autistic spectrum disorders).