Child and adolescent mental health services liaison with Tier 1 services: a consultation exercise with school nurses

Consultation with Tier 1 professionals is an integral part of comprehensive child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) (NHS Health Advisory Service, 1995; Audit Commission, 1999). Despite enthusiasm for consultative approaches and clearly described advantages (Steinberg, 1993), the evidence base for consultation work is thin. In schools, the consultation intervention has been found to be the least effective of four interventions (Kolvin et al, 1981). Consultation enables the development of an integrated tiered system, improves communication, provides a greater understanding of the roles of CAMHS by Tier 1 professionals and fosters more relevant referral patterns.