Child and Family: Mental Health

Child and family mental health is a professional development discipline concerned with supporting the psychological wellbeing of children, young people and their families, and working with the systems that surround them, including schools, health services, social care and the voluntary sector. The field recognises that children's mental health is shaped by a complex interplay of individual, family and community factors, and that effective support requires practitioners who can understand and engage with all of these dimensions. It draws on developmental psychology, attachment theory, family systems thinking and clinical approaches to wellbeing and intervention.

At the University of Warwick, this part-time programme is designed for practitioners who are already working within or alongside education, health, social care or the voluntary sector and who want to develop their knowledge and skills in supporting children's and families' mental health. The programme is innovative, flexible and applied, making it accessible to those who are juggling existing professional and personal commitments. You will develop a theoretically grounded and practically oriented understanding of children's mental health, family dynamics, evidence-based interventions and the professional frameworks that govern this area of practice.

Graduates from this programme are equipped to take on enhanced roles in supporting children's and families' mental health across a range of settings. Common professional contexts include schools and educational settings, NHS CAMHS services, community health and social care, the voluntary sector and family support services. The qualification supports career development towards specialist or advisory roles in children's mental health, early intervention, family support and multi-agency practice.

Many graduates pursue further postgraduate study in clinical or counselling psychology, psychotherapy, educational psychology or related disciplines.