The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH)

28/04/2026

‘An update on ACT research in children and young people’ is led by Dr. Victoria Samuel, Clinical Psychologist. Director, InTER-ACT: an innovative, evidence-based preventative mental health intervention for children and adolescents. https://bit.ly/3NxiKbu

This session is ideal for mental health professionals, mid-level clinical practitioners, and also researchers and people working in education. The session will have a higher research component than others, so it may be of interest to academics in mental health.

Book now to understand the aim and relevance of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for children and young people (CYP) and to gain an overview of the state of the current evidence on ACT for CYP and the implications of these findings. https://bit.ly/3NxiKbu

28/04/2026

In this talk, Ana Pascual Sánchez delves into DBT, an evidence-based treatment for young people with high levels of emotional dysregulation. The aim of the treatment is to support young people to develop the skills to have a life worth living.

Comprehensive DBT for adolescents includes five treatment components: DBT individual therapy, DBT multifamily skills group, skills phone coaching, case management and parenting sessions, and DBT consult.

Watch now to learn more. https://bit.ly/3NnAjvc

28/04/2026

In this Nip in the Bud lived experience film, Olivia shares an honest and detailed account of living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which began at age eight but was not diagnosed until she was 15. She explains the hidden reality of OCD—how compulsions like checking or cleaning are only the visible part, while intrusive thoughts (obsessions) can feel like a relentless bully threatening harm unless rituals are completed.

Watch now to learn more: https://bit.ly/4t38QhH

28/04/2026

On 7 May 2026, the Child and Adolescent Intellectual Disability Psychiatry Network (CAIDPN) will hold its annual conference, From Research to Practice: Advancing Early Intervention, Treatments and Services for Children and Young People with Intellectual Disabilities. CAIDPN is a special interest group within ACAMH.

Taking place in person at King’s College London, the conference brings together leading researchers, clinicians and practitioners from across disciplines.

We spoke to Dr. Ashley Liew, Consultant Paediatric Neuropsychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Vice-Chair of CAIDPN – about the day, the field, and what delegates can expect.

Read the full Q&A to learn more.

We spoke to Dr. Ashley Liew, Consultant Paediatric Neuropsychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Vice-Chair of CAIDPN - about Intellectual Disabilities, and an upcoming CAIDPN conference.

28/04/2026

For many families of autistic young people, leaving school feels less like a gentle transition and more like falling off a cliff into a fragmented, underfunded adult service system where no one is clearly in charge.

In this Mind the Kids episode 'Navigating the service cliff - Supporting autistic youth transition into adulthood', Mark Tebbs speaks with Professor Julie Lounds Taylor from Vanderbilt University Medical Center about ASSIST (Advocating for SupportS to Improve Service Transition), a 12‑week parent advocacy programme designed to equip families with the knowledge, skills and confidence to navigate that maze.​

Listen now to learn more. https://bit.ly/47OaQBN

27/04/2026

In this ACAMH Learn talk, Dr. Georgina Parkes helps clinicians recognise signs and symptoms of possible PTSD and complex PTSD in children and adolescents with intellectual disability and/or autism who may not be able to communicate verbally in a way that is easily understood.

Too often, children’s behaviours are attributed solely to their neurodevelopmental condition, leaving these vulnerable young people without the appropriate care they need. By raising awareness, the goal is that more children and families receive the support they deserve. https://bit.ly/41rNHBP

27/04/2026

What is happening in the brain and body when a child with selective mutism goes silent?

On 28 April, ACAMH will host a webinar 'Creating Safety Before Speech: A Nervous System Approach to Selective Mutism'.

We caught up with the presenter – Anna Biavati, a Speech and Language Therapist and founder of Steps to Brave Talking Therapy and Support – about the topic itself, her career, and her hopes for the event.

Read the full Q&A to learn more. https://bit.ly/4sU9jm0

Plus join us for this fantastic event! https://bit.ly/4jPSvJu

We caught up with the presenter - Anna Biavati, a Speech and Language Therapist and founder of Steps to Brave Talking Therapy and Support - about the topic itself, her career, and her hopes for the event.

27/04/2026

What are the evidence-based and practical strategies that professionals can use to support young people to safely navigate the online world? Discover collaborative insights from academic experts, mental health professionals and young people, at this FREE training session.

This session is being funded by the University of Bristol as part of a successful grant application. We will contact you between 7 – 21 days after the session to ask you to complete a brief questionnaire. This will take no more than 5 minutes to complete, and help the University of Bristol understand the impact of the training.

Book now for FREE to learn more. Places are limited. LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER! https://bit.ly/3ObRvE8

27/04/2026

Selective mutism is often approached as a speech or behavioural difficulty. However, for many children, silence is better understood as a nervous system response to perceived threat.

In this talk, Anna Biavati reframes selective mutism as a form of protective shutdown, where the voice is not absent but waiting for safety.

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER and explore how safety, emotional regulation, and bodily readiness influence a child’s ability to communicate, as well as recognise how adult expectations, family dynamics, and relational pressure can unintentionally maintain communication shutdown. https://bit.ly/4jPSvJu

27/04/2026

In this episode of Mind the Kids, titled ‘Regular sleep, the balm of hurt minds’, Dr. Konstantin Drexl joins hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Professor Umar Toseeb, to unpack the science of adolescent sleep.

Together, they explore why regular sleep can act as a protective factor for some young people, why others seem especially sensitive to even small disruptions, and what this might mean for school start times, smartphones at bedtime, and whole family sleep hygiene.

Watch, or listen, now to learn more. https://bit.ly/4tDyJ7K

26/04/2026

On 20 May 2026, ACAMH will host "Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) in Practice: Evidence, Complexity, and Recovery-Oriented Approaches".

We caught up with two of the presenters – Professor Caroline Bond and Jerricah Holder – about the topic itself, their careers, and their hopes for the event.

"What the pandemic gave us was a body of evidence showing that periods of rest and recovery can actually be protective of children’s longer-term attendance. It really shifted understanding of how we use proactive opportunities for respite and recovery rather than rushing children back into school."

Read the full Q&A to find out more.

On 20 May 2026, ACAMH will host Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) in Practice: Evidence, Complexity, and Recovery-Oriented Approaches.We caught up with two of the presenters – Professor Caroline Bond, a former teacher and educational psychologist who is placement lead for the Doctorate in ...

26/04/2026

What does current research tell us about the adolescent brain, and how can it inform the way we work with young people?

Drawing on work from the Blakemore Lab at the University of Cambridge, with contributions from its lead Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, this interactive online workshop session will explore the cognitive and emotional processes shaping adolescent behaviour.

EARLY BIRD AVAILABLE UNTIL 06 JUNE!

Through a combination of scientific insights and interactive activities, participants will develop a clearer understanding of how these processes play out in real-world settings, and what this means for everyday practice.

BOOK NOW TO ATTEND: https://bit.ly/48vAziL

The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) provides information, training and evidence to health professionals.