Child, adolescent and family mental health link service (CAFLink) — Canterbury

CAFLink connects children, adolescents and their families with mental health services in Canterbury.

Urgent help

For a child or young person mental health emergency in Canterbury:

  • Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm, freephone: 0800 218 219 (option 2)
  • after hours, weekends and public holidays, freephone: 0800 920 092

Contact us

To contact the CAFLink single point of entry, freephone: 0800 218 219 (option 1)


Where to find us

CAFLink single point of entry is at:

Hillmorton Hospital
Entrance 3
Building 23, Kahurangi
21 Sylvan Street
Christchurch 

Hillmorton Hospital mapPDF656 KB


Services we provide

CAFLink is a central point of contact for referrals to mental health services. We provide:

  • an easily identifiable point of entry to services
  • better quality and more consistent information to referrers, young people and their families
  • centrally processed referrals.

Our referral process includes:

  • screening
  • referral to community agencies
  • triage into services.

Referrals for outpatient services go to the CAF North and CAF South community and outreach teams.

[LINK] CAF community mental health services


Referral information

Referrals to CAFLink usually come from a healthcare provider, such as a GP. If you do not have a GP, contact us to discuss a referral.

ADHD queries

Referrers querying ADHD need to have a completed SNAP-IV Questionnaire (listed below) in addition we require SNAP-IV from both parents x 2 (or significant other) and school plus School Support for Health and Wellbeing Assessment. Send all these forms to the child or youth's GP to make a referral.

​​Caddra SNAP QuestionnairePDF26 KB  

Instructions for Caddra SNAP QuestionnairePDF21 KB  

School Support for Health and Wellbeing Assessment - Years 1-8DOCX40 KB  

School Support for Health and Wellbeing Assessment - Years 9-13DOCX39 KB