Transitions to adulthood

What we do

Approaching the age of 18 is an exciting life stage which can also be overwhelming as you progress into adulthood. When you turn 17 and a half, your CAMHS worker will begin to plan with you what emotional and mental health support you will need in the future. This will help you feel prepared when you become an adult.

Your CAMHS worker will meet with you and other people in your life to discuss what services you might need. The options are different for each young person and vary depending on where you live.

These options may include:

support from local services, such as
- Off The Record (OTR)
- Vita Minds
discharge back to your GP with recommendations for support.
transition to adult mental health services (AMHS), including locality recovery teams, adult eating disorder service, adult ADHD service, and adult autism service (BASS).

We may suggest you have a meeting with a member of the transitions team from AMHS to discuss your mental health needs and which service would best support you.

CAMHS transitions services are available to you if you’re aged 17 and a half years and have been referred to CAMHS. Through our services, we will help you plan for what you need after you have turned 18.

If you are a young person in Bristol or South Gloucestershire, you will be offered help from dedicated workers who will discuss whether you are eligible for adult mental health services or if there are other services that might be more suitable for you.

What happens next

Once we know where you will get support from, CAMHS or your transition worker will ask your permission to send your paperwork over to the new service supporting you.

If you are being transitioned to AMHS, someone from your new team will meet with your CAMHS worker before your transition.

There is no specific location for this service because transitions take place from all of our CAMHS teams.

Page last updated: 20 April 2023