South Staffordshire Mental Health Support Team in Schools (MHST) is an NHS service made up of Education Mental Health Practitioners and Children's Wellbeing Practitioners that work within schools across Staffordshire. Our service provides early intervention to support to children and young peoples' mental and emotional wellbeing.

We provide:

  • one-to-one and group evidence-based treatment sessions for young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties such as anxiety, panic, or low mood
  • whole-school approach sessions including assemblies, workshops, or drop-ins
  • training for school staff to help them support the mental health and wellbeing of the young people in their school
  • parent workshops to support
  • signposting to other services that may help individuals and their families

Referrals

For one-to-one treatment sessions, which are specifically tailored to each individual, referrals are made to us by the school. If you feel that you would benefit from support from our team, speak to the Mental Health Lead in your school and they can make a referral. During the school holidays we open up a self-referral pathway.

 

What happens after I am referred to your service?

If your referral is accepted to our service, we will do an initial assessment followed by 6 to 8 sessions of guided self-help based treatment.

When we receive referrals to our team, we review together whether we are the best service to help you. Sometimes there is a specific need that means that a different service would be best placed to help you. In that case, we would give you all the information you need about that service and help with a referral to them.

 

What happens during the initial assessment?

For referrals that are accepted to our service, we would organise a first meeting with you called an 'initial assessment'. This is for you to give us the most up-to-date information in your own words about how you are feeling, how long you have been feeling this way, and what might have caused this current difficulty. We're trained to make young people feel as comfortable and safe as possible during this meeting and will ask you lots of questions that will help us build a clear picture of what's going on for you. It's really helpful that you're as open as honest as possible during this stage as this then means we can get the best type of support for you.

During the initial assessment, our practitioner will ask questions to make sure everyone stays safe. They might ask about how you are feeling and if you've had any thoughts about hurting yourself or others. This is just to make sure everyone gets the support they need.

 

What happens after the initial assessment?

The initial assessment will have three possible outcomes:

  1. You do not want or feel you need any help and support from us.
  2. You need some help and support but our service is not the right one for you. In this case we will signpost you to a more appropriate service and can help with referrals.
  3. You need some help and support and we are the best service for you. We will offer you 6 to 8 sessions of support, usually taking place in school.

 

What happens during treatment sessions?

Our treatment usually last for 6 to 8 sessions and they are specifically tailored to your needs and goals. We use an evidence-based treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This is a goal-oriented therapy that empowers individuals to develop healthier ways of thinking and coping with life's challenges. It's widely used to treat a variety of mental health issues and can be very effective. Essentially, we will give you a box of tools to help you to help yourself feel better and work towards your goals.

Our sessions normally take place in your school, but we can offer online sessions and sessions at one of our clinics during school holidays and where there is any difficulty attending school.

 

Podcast

We recently recorded an episode for The MPFT Podcast which you can listen to online. Subscribe for more episodes.

 

Schools we support

  • Abbot Beyne Secondary School
  • Anglesey Primary Academy
  • Burton Pupil Referral Unit
  • Christ Church Primary School
  • De Ferrers High School Academy
  • Dove CofE Primary Academy
  • Edge Hill Junior School
  • Eton Park Junior (a deFerrers Trust)
  • Holy Trinity CofE Primary
  • Lansdowne Infants (a deFerrers Trust)
  • Loxley Hall School (Manor Hall Academy Trust) Secondary
  • Oldfields Hall Middle School
  • Paget High School
  • Paulet High School
  • Riverview Primary School
  • Robert Sutton Catholic School Secondary
  • Scientia Academy (Primary)
  • Shobnall Primary School
  • St Joesphs Catholic Primary School
  • St Marys CofE First School
  • The Fountains High School
  • The Fountains Primary School
  • Thomas Alleynes High School
  • Tower View Primary School
  • Tynsel Parkes CofE Primary Academy
  • Victoria Community Primary School
  • Violet Way Primary Academy
  • Windsor Park CofE Middle School

  • Bilbrook CofE (VC) Middle School
  • Bridgtown Primary School
  • Cannock Chase High School
  • Cardinal Griffin Catholic College
  • Chase View Community Primary School
  • Chaselea Alternative Provision Academy
  • Cherry Trees School
  • Churchfield CofE Primary Academy
  • Five Ways Primary School
  • Forest Hills Primary School
  • Great Wyrley Academy
  • Hazel Slade Primary Academy
  • Heath Hayes Primary Academy
  • Jerome Primary School
  • Kingsmead School
  • Landywood Primary School
  • Lane Green First School
  • Littleton Green Community School
  • Moat Hall Primary Academy
  • Moorhill Primary School
  • Norton Canes High School
  • Norton Canes Primary Academy
  • Perton Middle School
  • Redbrook Hayes Community Primary School
  • Redhill Primary School
  • St Lukes CofE Primary School
  • St Mary's Catholic Primary School
  • Staffordshire University Academy
  • The John Bamford Primary School
  • West Hill Primary School

  • Boney Hay Primary
  • Bridge Short Stay
  • Charnwood Primary
  • Chase Terrace Academy
  • Chase Terrace Primary
  • Chasetown Community
  • Erasmus Darwin
  • Friary School
  • Netherstowe
  • Queenscroft
  • Rawlett School
  • Rocklands
  • Saxon Hill Academy
  • St Chads
  • St Peters and St Pauls
  • Willows Primary

  • Bailey Street Alternative Provision Academy
  • Blessed Mother Teresa's Catholic Primary School
  • Blessed William Howard Catholic School
  • Burton Manor Primary School
  • Castlechurch Primary School
  • Doxey Primary & Nursery School
  • Flash Ley Primary School
  • John Wheeldon Primary Academy
  • King Edward V1 High School
  • Marshlands School
  • Penkridge Middle School
  • Silkmore Primary Academy
  • Sir Graham Balfour School
  • St Austin's Catholic Primary School
  • St John's CofE Primary Academy
  • St Leonard's Primary School
  • St Patrick's Catholic Primary School
  • St. Leonard's CofE First School
  • Stafford Manor High School
  • The Weston Road Academy
  • Tillington Manor Primary School
  • Veritas Primary Academy
  • Walton Hall Academy
  • Walton Priory Middle School

  • Amington Heath Primary School
  • Anker Valley Primary Academy
  • Ankermoor Primary Academy
  • Ashcroft Infant and Nursery School
  • Birds Bush Primary School
  • Dosthill Primary Academy
  • Florendine Primary School
  • Glascote Academy 
  • Hanbury's Farm Primary School
  • Heathfields Infant Academy
  • Kettlebrook Short Stay School
  • Lakeside Primary School
  • Landau Forte Academy Amington
  • Landau Forte Academy Greenacres
  • Landau Forte Academy QEMS
  • Landau Forte Academy Tamworth Sixth Form
  • Moorgate Primary Academy
  • Oakhill Community Primary School
  • St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School
  • Stoneydelph Primary School
  • Tamworth Enterprise College
  • The Wilnecote School
  • The Woodlands Community Primary School
  • Three Peaks Primary Academy
  • Two Gates Community Primary School
  • Two Rivers High School
  • Two Rivers Primary School
  • Wilnecote Junior Academy
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