Tamworth mental health: Banskia mental health unit planning documents to be released amid Tamworth youth mental health service shortage

But the child is getting worse, not better and she's concerned she won't be able to access the care they need before he turns 18, simply because specialists are not available locally.

The woman has been as far as Newcastle, and called an ambulance on three occasions, and the police more than that.

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Tamworth has just a single child and adolescent psychiatrist, often the only specialist with the skills and qualifications - or permission - to treat young people to the highest level of care.

"By then the damage is done," the woman told the Leader.

"That's what annoys me and I see it all the time at work. These kids, especially the nine to 12 age group, if you don't get in early they've already done stints in jail.

"I couldn't tell you how many nights I've sat in my bedroom crying.

"It just makes me so angry even talking about it."

The woman is actually better-armed than many to navigate the morass of youth primary mental health care in Tamworth. A public servant in a related field, she works with mentally ill children on a regular basis.

"If I lived in Sydney none of this would be an issue, we would have got help six years ago. It does my head in," she said.

"I'd move in a heartbeat if it meant we could get help. All of my family supports are here. I don't have the option of going to metro areas."

And she's far from the only person in her position.

Though the city will soon have a new acute Banksia Mental Health Unit, it won't include a single bed for young people. Modelling conducted by Hunter New England Health for the new unit shows the region "has adequate adult acute care beds" - for people aged 18 to 64 - "to meet current and expected demand by 2030-31," according to a statement by the health service.

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The planning documents containing that judgement are set to be made public by NSW Parliament on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Tamworth mum hopes her story will help make a difference for other families who are even worse-off than her.

"I'm an educated person with a job and I work within the industry so to say. So I know more than the average Joe about how to access services," she said.

"It just makes you wonder about people on Centrelink payments that aren't working and don't have the knowledge. I can't do that, how are they expected to get help?"

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