Print Handheld Contrast

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care Program

Where can you find us?	Currently, we are located on two different sites: South Street Hospital (SSH) 346 South Street, Health Services Bldg. (HSB) Intake and Outpatients Victoria Hospital (VH) 800 Commissioners Rd. East Inpatients – D6-200 VH Eating Disorders – E1-615 VH Day Treatment – E1-619 VH
Who to contact with questions or to make a referral?	Intake Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care Program Telephone: (519) 667-6640 Fax: (519) 667-6814
Referral forms	Outpatients and Day Treatment Eating Disorders

See:

• Our Program
• Matching Needs to Services
• Who We Serve
• Who We Do Not Serve
• About Our Services
  • Crisis and Emergency
  • Outpatients
  • Inpatients
  • Day Treatment
  • Eating Disorders
• How To Make Referrals
• Education
• Teaching
• Research
• Donations

 

Our Program

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care Program (CAMHCP) provides clinical services which include Outpatients, Inpatients, Day Treatment and Eating Disorders. Services are delivered by an interdisciplinary team consisting of child and adolescent psychiatrists, social workers, as well as a child family therapist, psychologists, nurses, child and youth counselors, advanced practice nurse and dietician with support from office staff. Teachers from the Thames Valley District School Board also work in some services.

Matching Needs to Services

Referrals, other than through direct inpatient admissions, are screened at both intake and first assessment. Children, youth, and their families may be accepted into ongoing services or deferred to alternative agencies. If ongoing services are to be provided these may include family therapy, individual therapy, group therapy and/or pharmacotherapy.

Who We Serve

Children and adolescents with mental health difficulties of an internalizing nature, such as:

• Mood disorders including depression and bipolar disorder
• Suicidal behaviour
• Anxiety disorders including obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Psychotic disorders eg. schizophrenia
• Eating disorders, i.e., anorexia nervosa and bulimia
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Psychosomatic disorders
• Acute symptoms of distress related to family or personal crisis, abusive experiences, and/or experiencing or witnessing of traumatic events

Who We Do Not Serve

• Adolescents who do not meet our age criteria
  
  
  • Children and adolescents who primarily require continuous case management or shelter, as opposed to treatment.
  • Referrals for assessments regarding custody and access, child welfare or youth justice.

   

• Children and adolescents whose needs are better addressed by other agencies due to such primary presenting concerns as:
  
  
  • Behavioural problems
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Conduct Disorder (CD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
  • Substance abuse
  • Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD)
  • Learning disabilities
  • Marked intellectual impairment
  • Physical illness without an associated mental health problem

 

About Our Services

Crisis and Emergency

Twenty-four hour Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Emergency coverage is offered through the Emergency Department at Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre.

Outpatients

• Outpatients offers crisis and urgent assessment and treatment for children and adolescents who are 15 years of age or younger.
• Recommendations for treatment will be made at the time of the assessment, which may involve ongoing services or suggestions regarding alternatives in the community.
• Clinical services focus on mood and anxiety disorders, trauma and family therapy among other possibilities.
• Requests for psychiatric consultations must be supported by a physician referral.

Catchment area for Outpatients: London and Middlesex. Referrals from other counties are deferred to their local children’s mental health agency. Crisis cases from Oxford and Elgin counties requiring a psychiatric consultation may be seen on an exceptional basis, however, ongoing services are expected to be completed at the local community level.

Inpatients

• Inpatients serves children and adolescents who are 15 years of age or younger requiring short term admission for crisis stabilization and assessments of urgent mental health problems.
• Coordination with community resources is completed for follow up treatment.
• Children and adolescents also attend W.D. Sutton School while in hospital.

Catchment area for Inpatients: London, Middlesex, Elgin and Oxford counties. 

Day Treatment

• Day Treatment offers assessment and treatment of children and adolescents, between 10 and 17 years of age, who require more intensive services than available through Outpatients, but who do not require hospitalization.
• While in Day Treatment, children and adolescents attend W. D. Sutton school.  Co-ordination with the community school is undertaken to assist in a timely return to that setting.
• A physician referral is required.

Catchment area for Day Treatment: London, Middlesex, Elgin and Oxford counties. Exceptions may apply if transportation can be arranged by the family and/or guardian.

  

Eating Disorders

• Services are offered regionally for clients up to age 17 who are experiencing Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia and eating problems, including restricting, bingeing, purging, excessive exercising and low body weight. Patients aged 18 to 25 are offered psychiatric consultations only from adult mental health services.
• Referrals must be made by a physician who accepts responsibility for medical care until patients are seen. Documentation of medical evaluations,  i.e physical examination, bloodwork and ECG results completed within the past four weeks must accompany the referral.
• Inpatient services are provided for patients who are acutely ill. Day Treatment placements are available for normalization of eating and group therapy.
• W.D. Sutton provides education for eating disorder Inpatients and Day Treatment.
• Outreach workers are available in six areas (Chatham, Sarnia, Stratford, Owen Sound, Goderich, and Woodstock) offering limited services, including screening, psychoeducational groups, and/or therapy.

Catchment area for Eating Disorders: London, Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Huron, Perth, Lambton, Kent, Grey, Bruce and Essex counties.

How To Make Referrals

Referrals for all services are accepted from family members, community physicians, mental health practitioners, schools, social agencies, and other mental health facilities. For psychiatric consultations, Eating Disorders and Day Treatment, a physician’s referral is required. All services are covered through O.H.I.P.

Referal Forms:

Outpatient, Day Treatment

Eating Disorder

Referrals are directed to:

Intake
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care Program
South Street Hospital
346 South Street
P.O. Box 5375
London, Ontario N6A 4G5

Tel: (519) 667-6640
Fax: (519) 667-6814

Education

Speakers are available to community agencies and groups on a variety of subjects, such as the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents presenting with Eating Disorders, Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, family therapy, pharmacotherapy, among other topics.

Teaching

We are involved in training and provide placements in the medical and allied health professions, including psychiatry, paediatrics, family medicine, psychology, social work, family therapy, nursing and child and youth counseling.

Research

We are involved with ongoing evaluation of clinical programs and clinical research.

Donations

Donations to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care Program are welcomed through the Children’s Health Foundation at 519-432-8564.