Journal of Psychiatry

Child and adolescent mental health services meeting the needs of a diverse community in the heart of Germany

2^nd International Conference on Adolescent Medicine and Child Psychology

October 06-07, 2016 London, UK

Katherine Nova Garmonsway Falcao

British Forces Germany (SSAFA), Germany

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Psychiatry

Abstract:

The demographics of the military population posted to Germany is surprisingly diverse. Families are mainly made up of British, European and Commonwealth. Currently there are large proportions of Fijian, Nepalese, Caribbean families and of British and German couples. There are also many blended families with step-fathers parenting several children who biologically not theirs. British Forces Germany subcontract healthcare to SSAFA (The armed forces charity) and currently employ two Clinical Nurse Specialists and one part-time Consultant Psychiatrist from the world-renowned SlaM (South London and Maudsley). It is the job of these professionals to meet the mental health needs of the children in the community who are entitled to the services; children of soldiers and civilians. Knowledge between this small team is vast largely due to lack of other available specialist and this provides diversity of casework incomparable to UK counterparts. The team interacts between German schools, British Schools, German hospitals; including psychiatric hospitals, welfare officers among others. Consideration for diversity is at the forefront of every interaction. They have successfully managed very serious mental illnesses, high risk patients and have implemented some of the most successful treatments possible. The ability to provide successful treatment is connected to the reality of the family remaining in BFG and ultimately the soldierâ??s career. Patient satisfaction is outstanding, the team have the dedication to remove waiting lists, work intensively and systemically to provide this outcome; this is despite high caseload numbers, large geographical area (Germany, Belgium and Netherlands). The CAMHS team in BFG is fascinating, complex, unique and largely unknown.

Biography :

Email: kat.falcao@yahoo.co.uk