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The Symbol Therapy Team for Looked After and Adopted Children and Young People

How our service can help you

Our service was set up to help young people in the care of the local authority in Lewisham who are struggling with mental health difficulties, as well as adopted young people living in Lewisham.

The Symbol Therapy Team is part of Lewisham Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). We offer assessment, therapeutic intervention and care for looked after and adopted children and young people, up to the age of 18, with moderate to severe emotional, behavioural and mental health problems.

This means that we see young people who are struggling with significant anxiety, depression, challenging behaviour and other mental health problems.

We are a Tier 3 CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service). This means that children and young people who have had severe and complex mental health problems for some time can be cared for by our team of mental health workers.

  • Service Type: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (local) Service Borough Covers: Lewisham Treatment type: Community

  • Contact the service

    Site Location: Lewisham Park Known As: Symbol Therapy Team Fax Number: 020 3228 1000
  • Disabled Access:
    • Accessible toilets
    • Therapy rooms available on the ground floor
  • Address: 78 Lewisham Park Lewisham,
    London,
    SE13 6QJ
  • Business Hours/Visiting Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

    • Other essential information

  • Conditions: Anxiety, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism, Bipolar disorder, Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), Childhood degenerative disorders, Depression, Dissociative disorders, Learning disabilities, Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Perinatal disorders, Persistent physical symptoms, Personality disorders, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Psychosexual, Psychosis, Self-harm

Referrals

If you are in the care of the local authority, your social worker will need to refer you to our team. If you are an adopted young person, you might be referred by an adoption support social worker, your GP, or your school.

Once you are referred to us we will arrange to speak to your social worker, and your parents or carers, to find out more about what has been happening. One of our team will then arrange to meet with you at our clinic at Lewisham Park, to get to know you and figure out with you how we might be able to help.

18-21 year olds: care leavers
We also offer a Tier 2 CAMHS service for young people leaving the care system, who are moving into adulthood. This service is provided by a single mental health worker for young people whose mental health difficulties are not so severe, who do not need a team of people, or to see a psychiatrist.

For referrers:
If you wish to refer a young person to our team, please contact us for a referral form. If the young person is looked after, then a social worker will need to make the referral. If they are adopted, then a GP or school can refer.

Young people over the age of 16 can refer themselves, but we strongly advise them to speak to their carers or parents first.

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