Working in CAMHS: Roles, Routes and What to Expect

Children and young people's mental health services (CAMHS, often called CYPMHS) are under intense pressure. The Royal College of Psychiatrists' 2025 census found 16% of child and adolescent consultant psychiatrist posts vacant. At the same time, government investment in school-based support means Mental Health Support Teams now reach up to 900,000 more children than a year earlier (DHSC, April 2026).

Roles in CAMHS

• CAMHS nurses and practitioners (RMN, OT, social worker)
• Clinical psychologists and assistant psychologists
• Child and adolescent psychiatrists
• Family and systemic therapists, and child and adolescent psychotherapists
• Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) and Children's Wellbeing Practitioners (CWPs)
• Support workers, youth workers and peer workers

Settings

Community CAMHS, specialist eating disorder teams, crisis teams, inpatient units, schools and colleges, youth charities and digital services.

Routes in

EMHP and CWP trainee posts are funded training roles, commonly Band 4, that lead to qualified posts. Registered professionals can move into CAMHS with relevant experience, and many trusts offer CAMHS-specific preceptorships.

What to expect

Work with families and schools, safeguarding responsibilities and long waiting lists. It is also exceptionally rewarding: the Royal College of Psychiatrists notes that three quarters of mental illness begins by age 24.

Browse CAMHS jobs on Mental Health Jobs.