Providing clinical services for a diverse population: Views on training of child and adolescent mental health practitioners

The aim of this study was to explore what professionals working in a child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) thought of provision of mental health services to diverse groups and what their training needs might be. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken and audiotaped with 17 CAMHS professionals. The tapes were transcribed and the data analysed using thematic analysis. The findings show no discernible pattern between different professional groups within the sample, although this is limited by the sample size and is perhaps not surprising given the common professional context. Just over half the participants perceived cultural diversity as equating with ethnic diversity. Staff thought diversity influenced service provision through access; communication; perceptions that different communities hold about mental health; perceptions that different communities hold about mental health services; and service factors. Staff were not clear about their own training needs and identified that training to date had not been entirely satisfactory. Staff openness may present an ideal opportunity to start dialogues with staff and community groups about how best services can be provided for an increasing diverse population of children and families.