CASUS, casus, Cambridgeshire child and adolescent substance use service,

About Us

casus logo

CASUS is the Countywide Young People’s Substance Misuse service, a multi-disciplinary team of 10 practitioners, a therapy dog and a student therapy dog. The team is made up of Social Workers, Nurses, Counsellors, Specialist Substance Misuse Practitioners, Youth Offending Workers and is overseen by a Consultant Psychiatrist.

CASUS offers help and advice to young people (up to 18 years) who are getting into difficulties around substances, we are a friendly, professional and kind team, and we always try our best to support young people with their goals.

The CASUS team works across Cambridgeshire (not including Peterborough) providing both direct specialist support and harm minimisation advice to young people and family members/carers. We work with young people on an individual basis but can also provide support/interventions to groups depending on need. The team use an eclectic mix of CBT tools, Motivational Interviewing techniques and other evidence-based models to inform our work.

Meet The Team

casus team photo

Dr Dickon Bevington - Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist

Bernie Constable - Team Manager, Senior Mental Health Nurse and EMDR Therapist

Laura Hutson - Senior Substance Misuse Practionior

Michael Chouler - Senior Substance Misuse Practionior

Sam Davies - Senior Substance Misuse Nurse

Veronica Jacquard - Senior Substance Misuse Nurse

Jacqui Akasha - Substance Misuse Practionior

Jacqueline Harmitt - Substance Misuse Practionior

Kelly French - Substance Misuse Practionior

Lisa Chapman - Business Support Administrator

Ivy - Therapy Dog

Daphne - Student Therapy Dog

Referral information & Forms

Referral Criteria

CASUS provides information, support, and specialist treatment for young people under eighteen years of age, living in Cambridgeshire, to address alcohol and or drug use. Confidential information and support can also be provided to the families of these young people.

Alcohol and drugs include all prescribed and over the counter medication as well as illegal substances, solvents/volatile substances, and New Psychoactive Substances. This does not include tobacco – for support with tobacco use please contact the appropriate GP or visit www.smokefree.nhs.uk

CASUS accept self-referrals. Referrals from parent/carers and professionals for individual work with young people under eighteen are also accepted with the agreement of the young person.

Referrals can be made using Early Help Assessment or the CASUS referral form. Referrals should be sent to CASUS by e-mail casus@cpft.nhs.uk, or post to CASUS, Newtown Centre, Nursery Road, Huntingdon, PE29 3RJ.

CASUS welcomes the opportunity to discuss potential referrals prior to the completion of formal documentation. Please call the team on 01480 445316, and the duty practitioner will call you back.

Referral Criteria

Referral Criteria – CASUS COSUP Pathway

CASUS can provide information, support, and specialist interventions for young people under eighteen years of age, living in Cambridgeshire that are affected by another’s substance use such as parents, carers, siblings, partners. Confidential information and support can also be provided to the families of these young people.

CASUS accept self-referrals, referrals from parent/carers and professionals for individual work with young people under eighteen. Referrals will only be accepted if the young person has consented to the referral being made.

CASUS welcomes the opportunity to discuss potential referrals prior to the completion of formal documentation. Please call the team on 01480 445316 to discuss and the duty practitioner will call you back. Referrals should be sent to CASUS via e-mail casus@cpft.nhs.uk

CASUS will provide tailored information on parental substance use and its impacts through one-to-one interventions. Innovative ways of working with the young person through other professionals and/or family members (structured consultancy) will be developed. Group sessions will be developed if appropriate- this will be dependent upon need.

CASUS will work with anyone (including young people themselves) that has a concern about a young person or people’s drug and or alcohol use, living in Cambridgeshire. You can contact us by calling 01480 445316 or e-mailing casus@cpft.nhs.uk

CASUS are happy to deliver services in community settings as well as young people’s homes, subject to risk assessment. All support will be offered in locations which are accessible to the young person. Our normal working hours are Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm with out of hours appointments negotiable on an individual basis.

CASUS will provide tailored support and training to schools and other professionals where a need is identified. Training to key professionals could also be delivered on behalf of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Board.

CASUS will provide onward referrals to other support services such as Centre 33 Young carers, Centre 33 (Generic), Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service, Locality teams, and any other services which may be of further support to the young person and offer positive diversionary activities.

CASUS community referral form 2023.docx [docx] 194KB

CASUS Cosup referral form.docx [docx] 196KB

CASUS YJS referral form 2023.docx [docx] 196KB