Westonzoyland Primary School ‘Embrace Opportunities, Choose Kindness, Value Everyone’
MHST Mental Health Support Team
Westonzoyland Primary School is a Mental Health Support Team (MHST) school. This means we are committed to building a mentally healthy school environment helping all members of the school community to feel confident, resilient and independent around their mental wellbeing.
MHSTs were established nationally to improve children and young people’s early access to mental health and wellbeing services by providing support in schools. They work with children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
Within Somerset the MHST is a jointly delivered service between Young Somerset and Somerset Foundation Trust CAMHS. It is also supported by Public Health England and the Education Psychology service. MHST staff work in collaboration with the Mental Health Lead/Senior Mental Health Lead (delete as appropriate) at our School (insert name).
The three core functions of the MHST are:
- To provide evidence-based Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LICBT) interventions for mild to moderate mental health and wellbeing needs to children and young people.
- To support the Mental Health Lead in each MHST school to introduce or develop a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
- To give timely advice and signposting to schools, and to liaise with external agencies, ensuring that children and young people and their families receive the right support at the right time.
LICBT support may be face-to-face or virtual, may involve working with parents or in a group, and will typically involve an assessment and 6-8 weekly sessions. These interventions are highly structured and delivered by mental health practitioners, who receive regular supervision with clinical supervisors.
If you would like to find out more, please speak to the Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL)/Mental Health Lead (MHL) in school (delete as appropriate).
For more information about the MHST please visit: www.youngsomerset.org.uk/mhst or www.somersetft.nhs.uk/camhs/mental-health-support-in-schools-mhst/
