An interim report of the independent CAMHS review said the current structure was too confusing, often leaving families passed between different services.
Too many teams were blighted by staff retention problems, leaving it difficult for young people to build trust with professionals, the report found.
It also said a lack of leadership left managers unclear of their responsibilities.
Recommendations included clarification of lines of management and leadership, a better focus on outcomes and improved access to services for vulnerable children.
Another recommendation was to ensure mental health training was made available to the whole children's workforce.
The review's chair, Gloucestershire County Council's children and young people services group director Jo Davidson, said despite the need for reform in some areas there was "a lot of excellent work going on".
"But there is still a need to make it easier for children, young people and their families to get the help they need, when they need it. All services need to adopt the approaches used by the best services," she added.
A full report is due to be published in the autumn.
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