Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) support children and young people in Nottinghamshire schools.
Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) will be in nearly 50% of Nottinghamshire schools by the beginning of 2027, with plans to expand the service to 100% of Nottinghamshire schools within 5 years.
Children and young people:
- We support children and young people in a Nottinghamshire school which is an MHST school from KS1 until their 19th birthday.
- MHST schools participate with the whole school approach (WSA) offer, cohorts of children and young people are provided with information and advice of how to recognise and support their own emotional / mental health, this is via assemblies and workshops.
- Group sessions are provided for referral identified children and young people on various topics with the aim to share more tailored information and advice regarding emotional / mental health.
- Children and young people work 1-1 with a practitioner to implement support on an individual basis – referral required, sessions are face to face or virtual.
- Peer Mentoring – a scheme developed for children and young people to support each other with emotional health concerns.
- *Please note referrals are screened to ascertain if MHST is the appropriate service before offering an assessment, if not suitable where possible signposting advice is provided.
Adults and carers:
- Attendance at webinars relating to various topics advising how to improve and support children’s and young people’s emotional / mental health, access to the course is mainly provided by school via a QR code.
- Participation with specific groups – for example ‘Managing Your Anxious Child (MAC)’, other groups are available – referral needed, sessions are virtual.
- *Please note referrals are screened to ascertain if MHST is the appropriate service before offering an assessment, if not suitable where possible signposting advice is provided.
Education staff:
- Schools have an identified Mental Health Lead (MHL) who link in with MHST to discuss the findings of the ‘Wellbeing Questionnaires’ which are completed by the children and young people and identify the WSA topics required in response.
- MHLs attend termly meetings with other MHLs to share information and discuss the effectiveness of the service.
- School staff can access webinars and information sessions on how to support children and young people’s emotional / mental health.
- School staff can access an annual event to support their own emotional / mental health.
- Virtual group Mindfulness sessions will be available to access.
MHST staff:
Each locality – Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood, Gedling, Rushcliffe, Broxtowe, Mansfield and Ashfield – has its own team of staff comprising of:
- Support Worker – deliver WSA in schools and in the community
- Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHP’s) – undertake 1-1 work, group work and WSA.
- Specialist Practitioners (SP’s) – provide 1-1 work, group, WSA.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapists (CBT) – provide 1-1, group.
*The staffing group allocated is dependent on the referral information and support required.
Making a Referral
- Referrals can only be made by education staff, parent / carer or young person over 12 years.
- To make a referral and for more information relating to the MHST and the current school list, visit the CAMHS Mental Health Support Team (MHST) webpage.
