Two teenagers smiling at the camera.

Barking and Dagenham

The emotional wellbeing and mental health services (also known as CAMHS) delivers a range of services to support positive emotional wellbeing, behavioural and mental health difficulties for children and young people in Barking and Dagenham. The services are available to children & young people from birth to their 18th birthday.

We are a multi-disciplinary team based in a local clinic and offer support in a variety of areas such as assessment of development problems, autism, hyperactivity, depression, and early onset psychosis. 

During a child or young person’s development, there may be periods when they or their family’s ability to cope with difficult emotions or behaviour can put extreme pressures on relationships.

We want to work with children and young people as early on as possible during these difficulties in order to turn the situation around.

Click the buttons below for more information on each service

Meet the team

At NELFT, we pride ourselves in providing the best care by the best people. The team at Barking and Dagenham CAMHS are a dedicated group of mental health professionals who take pride in serving the people of Barking & Dagenham:

 

Psychotherapist

 

 

Grainne Curran

My name is Gráinne Curran. I am an Art Psychotherapist and have been working with young people and families in Barking and Dagenham for 8 years.

I provide art therapy treatment which can help young people explore their difficulties, think about their lives, their feelings and their relationships in ways other than just speaking.

I am also an IPT-A practitioner. IPT-A (Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents) is a NICE recommended treatment for depression in adolescents. I lead on our participation work in Barking & Dagenham CAMHS and am very interested in involving young people in the development and shaping of our services.

 

 

Triage

Kerry Downs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, my name is Kerry Downs and I am a Mental Health Practitioner within the triage team.

I provide brief assessments known as triage appointments for children, young people and their families who have been referred to the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS.) I also offer therapy sessions for young people experiencing, mild to moderate low mood and/or anxiety, as part of our brief intervention pathway. I get support for the work I do from other CAMHS therapists, and the admin staff within the team.

 

 

Sharon Coleman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My name is Sharon Colman, Lead Practitioner of the Triage Team.

Myself or one of the team will be the first people that you will speak to when a referral has been made to CAMHS. Our job is to listen and support you in getting the most appropriate help you need for your emotional and mental health difficulties. That may be with us here at CAMHS or somewhere else, but we will do our very best to ensure that if we cannot help, you that we will signposted to you to somewhere that can.

 

 

 

 

Family Therapist

Anees Hakim

Hi, my name is Anees Hakim. I am a Family Therapist. This means that I might see you individually or with your family. Sometimes I work in teams, because more heads to think are better than just one. And this can generate lots of different ways to see the same problem. Often when problems are seen to be very big, it is difficult to think about what your family’s strengths are and what you might be doing that is really helpful.

It is my job to explore the stories in your family that might not be talked about and to see what could be done differently by each family member (pets are included!) to make things better. I begin by asking everyone for their opinion and seeing what the common goals are so that the problem doesn’t lie with just one person and everyone is responsible for change. I like using art materials but we might also just talk.

 

STAR Workers

Natalie Higgins


My name is Natalie Higgins. I work in a small team of Support Time Resilience and Workers, as part of the wider multi-disciplinary CAMHS team. I provide practical support and 1:1 interventions to young people who are experiencing mental health difficulties. I can do this at home, at school, in the community, or in the CAMHS building. I also run supportive groups for both young people and their parents in the community. I get support for the work that I do from the rest of the dedicated and experienced CAMHS team.

 

 

 

 

 

Grace Willis


My name is Grace Willis. I am a Support Time and Resilience Worker (STAR Worker). I primarily work with children and young people to help them access support and external services. This can be youth clubs, sports centres, employment advice etc. I am at the centre of the wellbeing hub so I am here to ensure the emotion wellbeing of children and young people within Barking and Dagenham. I have a cluster of schools that I am allocated to support school staff with the emotional wellbeing of their students. I am fortunate enough to work in an innovative systemic approach in the borough.

 

 

 

 

Bethany Dyde


My name is Bethany Dyde I am a Support Time and Resilience Worker (STAR Worker) and your CAMHS practitioner in Barking and Dagenham. I work closely with schools and local services to identify existing support for Children and Young people to be able to signpost efficiently and am part of the Emotional Wellbeing Hub.  I also work directly with children and their families who are experiencing a range of mental health concerns.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Aisha Torabally

My name is Aisha Torabally I am a Support Time and Resilience Worker (STAR Worker) and your CAMHS practitioner in Barking and Dagenham. I work closely with schools and local services to identify existing support for Children and Young people to be able to signpost efficiently and am part of the Emotional Wellbeing Hub.  I also work directly with children and their families who are experiencing a range of mental health concerns.  

 

 

Need help and support? Visit our CAMHS resources section to find relevant services and information for you here.