What is a Mental Health Support Team (MHST)?

MHSTs are intended to provide early mental health support to children and young people in education settings with mild to moderate mental health concerns. Your child's school has signed up to be part of this government programme to support children and young people with mild to moderate emerging mental health issues, and so, has a team of NHS staff now linked to the school and available to support and help. 

Who are we?

The team is made up of different clinical staff who are trained in mental health. Each school has a link senior practitioner/clinician who meets with the Mental Health lead each term to discuss what support may be needed and what we can offer.

The link practitioner for Wisbech Green is Michelle Gorrod - Senior Wellbeing Practitioner.

What can we offer?

We offer support and interventions based on three functions:

 Function 1:

Delivering evidence-based interventions for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health problems including group work, these are aimed at young people experiencing anxiety or low mood (or anxiety and behavioural difficulties for Primary school aged children). We deliver short term interventions and offer 6-8 sessions using a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) informed approach.

Function 2:

Supporting education settings to introduce or develop their ‘Whole School/College Approach’ to mental health and wellbeing. This could involve delivering workshops to staff or parents and supporting the school in developing their practice and policies around mental health and wellbeing.

 Function 3:

Giving timely advice to school and college staff, and liaising with external specialist services, to help children and young people to get the support they need and stay in education.