Family, Child & Youth Mental Health Program
The Family, Child and Youth Mental Health Program provides community-based mental health care on a consultative basis for the full spectrum of mental health conditions to children and youth that are 17 years of age or younger. The consultative service typically consists of 1-2 visits by a Physician and potential follow-up with a clinician from the clinical team using trauma-informed care approaches. The team consists of physicians, nurses, a social worker, and support staff that collaborate with community-based mental health agencies, regional hospitals, and primary care providers to assist children, youth, and their caregivers in need of mental health care. For more complex cases, the team may offer a shared care model with the child or youth’s primary health care team.
Services provided through the Family, Child and Youth Mental Health Program may occur virtually or in-person. In-person services may be provided at the Community Health Hub located at 287 Bayshore Drive in Midland or at a regional affiliated primary care setting.
Referrals
Referrals to the Family, Child and Youth Mental Health Program must be completed by a primary care provider. For criteria related to eligibility for services through the Family, Child and Youth Mental Health Program, please refer to the Referral Form. The Family, Child, and Youth Mental Health Program provides services to children and youth in Simcoe County, the District of Muskoka, and the Parry Sound Area. Please refer to the Service Area Map for specific boundaries.
Once a referral has been received and reviewed, the referring primary care provider will be notified. To ensure timely responses to referrals, please ensure all mandatory information is provided on the referral form. If needed, the child, youth, and/or family or the primary care provider may be contacted directly to provide additional information to determine eligibility and/or prioritization. There is also a Parent/Caregiver Questionnaire that is strongly encouraged to be completed by all children, youth, and/or their caregivers in advance of the first appointment. The Family, Child and Youth Mental Health Program aims to provide ample notice of the details of appointments; however, wait times for initial consultations are currently greater than 12 months.
Information about upcoming appointments
Child, youth, and/or their caregivers will be contacted directly by telephone with the details of any upcoming appointment using the contact information provided by the primary care provider on the referral form. Please ensure that all contact information is up-to-date. If attendance cannot be confirmed, the appointment may be cancelled. In general, initial consultations may take up to two hours, depending on the nature of the concerns. Follow-up appointments are typically scheduled in half-hour increments.
There is a Parent/Caregiver Questionnaire that is recommended to complete in advance of the first appointment to provide additional information regarding the child or youth.
In-Person Appointments
The Family, Child and Youth Mental Health Program strives to provide family-focused services and therefore, family members and/or supporting persons are typically welcome to attend appointments. However, there may be times where it is appropriate to limit the persons in attendance and discretion is encouraged when deciding which persons may attend to support the child or youth. If there are custody agreements in place, it is trusted that all parties entitled to the information will be provided details of the appointment by the family’s contact person.
There are also instances where the Physician may request to speak with older children and youth independently. In all cases, if children are deemed capable, they have the right to consent to which persons attend the appointment and who is entitled to received information regarding the consultation. Limitations may apply, including if there are concerns about the child or youth’s safety or any information obtained indicates a danger to others.
Virtual Appointments
Virtual appointments may be offered via Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) or telephone. If accessing virtual services, please ensure a suitable device is available to attend the appointment. Further, please ensure a private location is available to the child, youth, and/or caregiver to attend the appointment, as confidential and sensitive information may be shared. The Family, Child and Youth Mental Health Program staff reserve the right to end appointments if the virtual appointment setting is not adequate.
Support regarding use of OTN is available through Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care by contacting the Telemedicine Support personnel at (705) 549-3181 ext. 2002 or [email protected]. Alternatively, please review this Information Brochure that outlines helpful strategies for use of OTN.
Information for Primary Care Providers
For urgent advice regarding a child or youth, primary care providers and emergency department physicians at regional Level 1 hospitals can contact (705) 549-3181 and request to speak to the On-Call Physician for the Family, Child and Youth Mental Health Program. Please Note: This service is only available to primary care providers, not children, youth, and/or their caregivers.
The Physicians at the Family, Child and Youth Mental Health Program are also available to provide eConsult services via the OTN Hub.
eConsults are intended for specific questions about patient care (e.g. medication optimization) and allow for a more timely and convenient means of consulting with our Family, Child and Youth Specialists for non-emergent issues. You can now send questions about your patients, their medical history and their test results for review through a secure, online platform, enabling you to expedite access to specialist advice. You can send an e-consult by selecting the Waypoint Family Child & Youth Program group option once you initiate an e-consult and search the group by name. eConsults will be responded to within seven business days.
For more information regarding eConsults, please visit the eConsults at Waypoint information page or visit www.eConsultOntario.ca.
Feedback and Complaints
If you have feedback and/or a complaint regarding the care provided through Outpatient Services, please do not hesitate to reach out following the process below.
Contact Information
Telephone: 705-549-3181, ext. 2484
or Toll Free: 1-877-341-4729, ext. 2484
Fax: 705-526-2462
Email: [email protected]
For more information regarding referrals, including the status of a referral, please contact Central Intake at (705) 549-3181 ext. 2308.