Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) are an early intervention service across Norfolk and Waveney, working with some schools and their pupils. We can offer support to children and young people, their families, and their school community to help manage emerging mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
What does the MHST service do?
We provide brief, low intensity, evidence-based support for mild to moderate mental health difficulties. We support schools in developing their whole school approach to ensure that all the children, young people and staff work together to understand and support mental health and wellbeing.
If a child or young person needs more specific support, then we can complete an assessment and either offer individual sessions, group work, work with parents or give advice to school and college staff, and liaise with external specialist services, to help children and young people to get the right support.
We can offer assessment and support for:
Referrals to our MHST service come via schools and colleges. To find out if our team is linked to your child's school or college please speak to the school's mental health lead, pastoral team or head teacher.
If school or college believes a child needs to be referred, our teams will always request consent from parents or carers before starting the referral process – unless a young person is of an age and maturity to consent for themselves.
Our MHST service works as closely with families as possible and includes them when appropriate in a child or young person's care.
Mental Health Support Teams are not an emergency service.
For 24/7 immediate advice, support and signposting for anyone with mental health difficulties please contact 111 and select the mental health option.
If you feel your child's life is at risk or they cannot be kept safe, call 999 or go to A&E.
