Forensic mental health services for children and adolescents: Rationale and development

Abstract

SummaryThis article outlines the rationale for dedicated specialist services for high-risk young people about whom there may be family or professional concerns in relation to mental disorder. It provides an overview of the development and remit of such services and emphasises the need for them to form part of overall service provision for children and young people.Learning Objectives• Greater understanding of the scope and emphasis of forensic child and adolescent mental health services (FCAMHS)• Greater understanding of the different statutory jurisdictions that frequently apply in the cases of high-risk young people• Greater understanding of the importance of initial service accessibility for concerned professionals and for authoritative understanding by FCAMHS of the wide variety of circumstances in which high-risk young people may find themselves