How our service can help you
We are a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for adolescents between
the ages of 12 to 18 years old. Our unit is part of the South London
Partnership, and is located within the heart of south London at the
Bethlem Royal hospital.
The CAMHS Adolescent PICU is an 8-bedded mixed-sex unit for young
people with an acute mental health illness who cannot be safely cared
for on a general adolescent unit.
Our unit provides short, focused admissions (six to eight weeks) to
decrease the level of risk so that the young person may be transferred
back to a less restrictive environment.
We treat young people experiencing severe mental health problems, and
who require a hospital admission within a more intensive and secure
setting. All of the young people admitted to our unit will be detained
under the Mental Health Act 1983.
Should the young person's level of risks exceed that which can be
safely managed on a PICU, or their level of risk is continuing beyond a
reasonable period, they may be transferred to a low or medium secure
unit for on-going treatment.
We offer a broad range of treatments, including medication, cognitive
behaviour therapy, group work, psycho educational family work, systemic
family work and art psychotherapy. Our multi-disciplinary team is made
up of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, teachers, occupational
therapists, social workers and other therapists.
A 24-hour, seven day a week emergency admission service is offered for
both new presentations to services via A&E, the police, or for those
requiring transfer from general adolescent units within the South London Partnership.
We maintain close links with the person's referring team to ensure they
experience a smooth transition back to the local General Adolescent unit
or in some cases straight to the community. Our ward is part of the
larger CAMHS inpatient care pathway across the South London Partnership,
which includes crisis care, generic adolescent inpatient care and a
supported discharge service.
The South London Partnership (SLP) is a collaboration between South
London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
and South West London and St George's NHS Foundation Trust. The SLP aims
to provide a local Tier 4 CAMHS provision across South London to avoid
admissions out of area to private hospitals.
- Service Type: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (South London Partnership) Service Borough Covers: Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Croydon, Bromley, Bexley, Greenwich, Merton, Wandsworth, Sutton, Kingston Treatment type: Inpatient
-
Contact the service
Site Location: Bethlem Royal Hospital Known As: CAMHS PICU Fax Number: 020 3228 4220 or 020 3228 4757 - Disabled Access: Yes
- Address: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Denis Hill Unit, Bethlem Royal Hospital,Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, BR3 3BX
- Business Hours/Visiting Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Conditions: Anxiety, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism, Bipolar disorder, Conduct disorder, Depression, Learning disabilities, Neuropsychiatry, Personality disorders, Psychosexual, Psychosis, Self-harm
Other essential information
Interventions
Our interventions include:
- Comprehensive mental state assessment
- Psychological assessment and treatment
- Access to physical health assessment and appropriate treatment and advice
- Risk assessment
- Occupational therapy
- Activity programme, including social and recreational activities, as well as therapeutic groups
- Education provided onsite by professional teaching staff
- Family work and psychoeducational support for families
- Care planning, including working with the young person’s family and carers
- Medication review and prescribing
- Relapse prevention planning
- Social work support, including assistance with benefits and housing
Eligibility criteria
- Adolescents (12 years), up to 18 years old
- Male or female
Exclusion
- Young people whose level of risk indicates that they require a low or medium secure unit
Outcomes
Our outcomes include:
- Formulation and diagnosis
- Stabilisation or resolution of mental health crisis
- Readiness for re-integration into education, or plans for alternative training and development
- Readiness to resume outpatient psychiatric care
- Relapse prevention strategies
- Improved general well-being
- Comprehensive admission, care plan approach and discharge summaries