Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS)

The Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS) provides comprehensive assessment, treatment, and management of for children and adolescents up to 18 years of age with severe and/or complex mental health conditions. These conditions may include depression, anxiety, suicidal or self-harming behaviour, eating disorders, psychosis, trauma, and significant interpersonal and relationship difficulties. CYMHS typically treat children and young people where:

• the impact of their mental health poses significant difficulty or distress and negatively impacts on their daily functioning
• there are difficulties associated with abnormal reactions to life events, such as illness, separation or bereavement

CYMHS does not typically see children and young people whose problems are solely related to educational difficulties, custody/separation and court issues or developmental delays.

CYMHS is a community-based service that also provides an acute response to the emergency department during business hours, provides acute follow-up and provides in-reach to young people and their families in the Josephine Sailor Adolescent Inpatient Unit and Day Service. CYMHS provides a comprehensive, recovery-orientated mental health service that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people and their carer networks. Recovery remains at the core of service delivery, culture and practice, providing consumers and their families, in collaboration with other services, access and referral to a range of interventions that will support and sustain recovery.

Referral Procedure

CYMHS is a specialist secondary-level service. This means an assessment and advice from a primary health service and or practitioner must be completed before referral.

If parents and carers are concerned about their child’s mental health, or young people themselves are experiencing mental health concerns, they should first talk to their general practitioner, paediatrician, senior guidance officer, school-based youth health nurse or Department of Child Safety officer.

If the concerns require a specialist response, these health professionals can make a referral to CYMHS.

Useful Resources

Acute Care Team 1300 MH CALL (1300 64 2255).
Headspace Townsville
selectability
Parentline 1300 301 300
Lifeline 24 hour service 131 114
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800

Contact Details

Location:
Kirwan Health Campus
138 Thuringowa Drive
Kirwan Qld 4817

Postal Address:
IMB 92
PO Box 1596
Thuringowa Central

Ph: (07) 4433 9004
Fax: + 61 7 4433 9001

24/7 Crisis assistance and support
Mental Health Intake and Referral:
Ph: 1300MH CALL (1300 64 2255)

24/7 Alcohol and Drug Information Service:
Ph: 1800 177 833

In a life-threatening emergency:
Telephone triple zero (000) or 112 from mobiles

Related Links

Queensland Health - Mental Health home page
Mental Health Act 2016
Caring for somebody with a mental illness
Find a mental health service