Mental health services at CHEO
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Main switchboard
401 Smyth Road
Ottawa ON K1H 8L1
P 613-737-7600
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CHEO is one of the largest providers of mental health services in Ontario for youth and their families. Our mental health program provides a broad range of services in schools and the community as well as day treatment programs and inpatient care when needed.
Access CHEO Mental Health services
There are three ways that clinicians, mental healthcare providers, schools, patients, and families can access CHEO's Mental Health services:
Children and youth (up to 17 years) experiencing a mental health crisis can access CHEO's Mental Health Services through the hospital Emergency department.
Children and youth will be seen by a crisis team member and/or an emergency room physician. These specialists will provide medical and mental health assessments as needed. The assessment will determine if the child or youth needs to be immediately admitted to the hospital's mental health unit, referred to one of our outpatient mental health program or to a community-based service or specialist.
To learn more about CHEO's specialized services, please read the list of specialized CHEO Mental Health Services below.
CHEO mental health services
Below is a complete list of all mental health services and programs available at CHEO.
Emergency department and Mental Health Services
About these services:
Children experiencing a mental health crisis and arriving at the hospital Emergency department will be seen either by a Crisis Intervention Worker or an Emergency room physician. These specialists will provide a medical and psychological assessment. The assessment will determine if the child needs to be immediately admitted to the hospital's mental health unit, referred to one of CHEO's outpatient mental health program or referred to a service or specialist in our community.
Address:
CHEO
401 Smyth Rd,
Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1
By bus:
OC Transpo buses run across Ottawa. Visit their website to plan your trip, find out about what routes are available and more. There are currently two routes that stop in front of CHEO's main campus: route 45 and route 55.
You can also call OC Transpo's information line at 613-741-4390 for schedule details.
When the child or teen arrives at CHEO's Emergency department, they will meet a triage nurse, who will ask about the reason for their visit. The nurse will assess how urgent the situation is, and decide if the child or teen needs medical treatment right away. After seeing the triage nurse, a Crisis Intervention Worker or Emergency Physician will meet with the child or teen, as well as parents and guardians to try to understand the situation, and everyone's concerns. We may speak with the child or teen separately, as needed. The child or teen will be assessed for safety, mental health issues, and provided with medical treatments if needed. Most children and youth go home after their assessment in the Emergency Department. The Crisis Intervention Worker or Emergency Physician will discuss safety concerns and a follow-up plan with the youth and family before they leave. If the child or teen is admitted to hospital, we will provide information on next steps.
Urgent Mental Health Services
About these services:
The Urgent Care clinic provides assessment and consultation for children and youth up to 17 years old who have urgent mental health needs such as suicidal behaviour or an abrupt decrease in mood or functioning. The urgency or severity of need determines the priority for treatment. Patients are assessed and diagnosed by psychiatrists and psychologists with particular attention to safety and risk. If required, recommendations for follow-up care and treatment will be made.
The clinician will talk to the parent and youth. He or she may also ask the parent and youth to complete questionnaires. In order to accommodate the large demand for the service, we are only able to see families for a short period of time and are not able to offer ongoing follow-up care. At the end of the initial assessment (typically one session), the clinician will discuss recommendations and provide feedback to your child's pediatrician or family doctor. When a child is experiencing significant difficulty with coping and has limited therapeutic support, a brief follow-up may be provided until appropriate follow-up services are arranged.
Mental Health Inpatient Services
About these services:
Inpatient services include a unit for children and youth aged 17 and under and offers psychiatric medical services and therapy for children and families. The goal of the psychiatric inpatient unit is to provide family-centered care and crisis stabilization, as well as appropriate linkage to ongoing services that meet the needs of the youth and the family.
Most inpatient stays are either:
- 24 to 48 hours, for those who need short-term support to resolve a crisis; OR
- A few days or more, for those whose mental health difficulties need to be assessed and diagnosed, and treatments recommended.
Our multidisciplinary team will offer services for children and youths who have serious, ongoing mental health concerns, including assessments and interventions for children and youths with acute psychiatric symptoms or those experiencing a severe mental health disorder.
When the patient is first admitted to the inpatient unit, the patient and family will meet with a nurse and child and youth counsellor to discuss paperwork, the unit, and go through an initial safety assessment.
During the first 24 hours, the patient and family will also meet with other mental health clinicians to better understand the needs of the admission and to plan for the course of appropriate treatment. The psychiatric inpatient unit is a group environment where participation in treatment is actively encouraged.
Throughout the patients stay, the mental health team in collaboration with the patient and parents/guardians, will start discharge planning and coordinate care with outside providers and agencies.
The Child and Adolescent Eating Disorder Program at CHEO provides assessment and treatment for children and youth who have a moderate to severe eating disorder, and their families. The program currently consists of an inpatient unit, a day treatment program and an outpatient program. Our program's primary treatment model is family-based therapy. In addition there is group therapy, individual therapy, and meal supervision.
In-patient program:
The Eating Disorders Program provides in-patient services in a specialized Child and Adolescent Mental Health in-patient unit, staffed by a multidisciplinary team of Pediatricians, Psychiatrists, Nurses, Child and Youth Counselors, and Dieticians.
Out-patient program:
For those clients who are able to manage and function sufficiently well in the community, services offered may include one or more of the following:
- individual therapy
- family therapy
- nutritional counseling
- psycho-education classes for families
- parent support group
- therapeutic groups for adolescents
Day Treatment program:
For those clients who find it difficult to manage their eating disorder symptoms without more intensive support, our Day Treatment Program may be appropriate. Clients participate in a half-day of schooling with specialized care and treatment, which may include group therapy, individual or family therapy. While attending the Day Treatment Program, they are required to eat three meals and two snacks daily. Typical goals for our Day Treatment clients may include weight restoration, symptom interruption, normalized eating and interruption of negative thinking patterns that support the problem.
Mental Health Outpatient Services
About these services:
Our multidisciplinary team offers services including individual, family and group therapy for children and youths who have serious, ongoing mental health concerns. We provide assessments and treatment for children and youth who are struggling to function in school, community and at home.
CHEO's Mental Health Outpatient Programs approach to care is called the Choice and Partnership Approach (CAPA). CAPA puts patients and families at the center of their own care. Using the CAPA approach, patients and service provider's work together to choose the right care plan based on individual strengths and goals. Our aim is to do the right things for each individual by having clear working goals, with the right people using the appropriate skills, at the right time.
If CHEO's Centralized Intake Process has analyzed the physician referral form and decided that an outpatient program is the most suited for the child or teens needs they will be contacted to book a Choice Appointment.
Your first appointment within CHEO's Mental Health Outpatient Service is called a Choice appointment.
The CHEO outpatient team consists of:
- psychologists
- psychiatrists
- social workers
- occupational therapists
- pediatricians
During your Choice appointment, you will meet with a clinician to voice your mental health concerns and learn about available services at CHEO and in your community. During the appointment, you and the clinician will identify your treatment goals and decide on next steps.
These next steps will consider:
- If your family is ready to reach this goal on your own or if you need support from our services
- What community resources are available to support your family
- What things you and your family can do on your own to help things improve
- What service is best for you
Main CHEO Campus
401 Smyth Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L1
613-737-7600
Montreal Road
1661 Montreal Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1J 9B7
613-738-6990
- The Supporting Transitions Outpatient Clinic offers children and youth on the mental health inpatient units up to eight weeks of therapeutic support after discharge to support the transition to community and/or outpatient services.
- Supporting Transitions offers a post-discharge check-in and follow up as clinically relevant, a caregiver group, and medication management depending on the child/youth’s needs and their caregiver’s needs.
- Our multidisciplinary Supporting Transitions team offers services to children and youth who are discharged from the Inpatient Mental Health Unit and the Mental Health Transitional Unit. Supporting Transitions also supports the caregivers of children and youth discharged from these units.
- The initial appointment is scheduled at the time of discharge from a mental health inpatient unit, or shortly after. Follow-up care and other referrals are arranged as needed.
- If you are a youth or caregiver of a youth who was admitted to the Inpatient Mental Health Unit or the Mental Health Transitional Unit, your care team will discuss the Supporting Transitions Service with you as you prepare for discharge. The initial appointment can occur in person or by Zoom. Children, youth and their caregivers can decide what works best for them in consultation with their clinical team.
- During that initial appointment, the following will be reviewed:
- what’s been going well since discharge,
- the services/referrals that are in place,
- any new services that need to be added,
- the mental health safety plan.
Please note: Supporting Transitions is not a crisis service. If you're in crisis, please call the Crisis Line at 613-260-2360. If you require immediate emergency care, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.
CHEO programs for youth and young adults
About these services:
The primary goal is to support youth (16-24 years) in successfully transitioning from child and youth mental health services to adult mental health services which will meet their needs. Transition and change can be very stressful! Connecting with new services and care providers can feel overwhelming! Transition services can help you navigate this process and provide education, preparation, planning and tools to make the transition easier.
The Transitional Age Youth program is designed to meet the mental health needs of youth aged 16-24 who have complex mental illness and exhibit a need for a high level of service to be successful in the community. However, youth will developmental disabilities may be best assisted by other services.
Youth providers that are currently involved with a youth can initiate a referral. Service providers can contact Steve Dumouchel at 613-737-7600 extension 3498 to discuss a youth who may benefit from the service. A referral form can also be faxed to Steve Dumouchel at 613-737-2257. Providers are expected to remain involved in the youth's care while the youth is transitioning to adult services.
The transition coordinator will meet with you to:
- better understand your situation, strengths and needs
- partner with you to create a personal transitional plan
- provide you with tools to help facilitate successful transition including groups that focus on preparing youth for adult services
- help you connect with appropriate resources
There are a variety of resources that can be explored with youth to best address their current needs. These can include but are not limited to mental health, addiction, housing, case management and employment. Recommendations will be discussed and agreed upon prior to any referrals being made. A visit to see location and connect with service providers may be an option to make you feel more comfortable
YouthNet/Réseau Ado is a bilingual for youth by youth mental health promotion program at CHEO. YouthNet offers alternative support services for youth aged 13 to 20. We strive to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and illness through prevention and intervention activities, education, research, and advocacy.
More information can be found at YouthNet's webpage.
Additional CHEO mental health programs and collaborations
About these services:
Behavioural Neurosciences and Consultation Liaison (BNCL) team provides mental health consultation, neuropsychological assessments, recommendations and short-term interventions for inpatients and outpatients who have both medical and mental health issues which impact their adjustment, treatment or recovery. BNCL team members have backgrounds in psychiatry, psychology, and nursing.
The BNCL team see children and youth up to 18 years of age with both medical and mental health issues that impact their adjustment and medical management. Typical referrals to the BNCL team include difficulty coping with chronic or acute medical conditions, non-compliance to treatment, active or stable medical/surgical disorder associated with CNS dysfunction, pain management and movement disorders. Referrals also include dealing with trauma such as burns or a car accident, intellectual disabilities with associated mental health conditions, feeding and elimination problems, procedural anxiety, medication consultation, diagnosis of psychiatric conditions and medical conditions with psychological factors.
To be seen by the BNCL Team, we require a referral from CHEO physician following your child. If the child or youth is admitted under one of the medical inpatient teams, the name of the physician who has ongoing involvement with the child should also be clearly indicated. Lastly, the referral should be addressed to Centralized Mental Health Intake and not to a particular discipline or individual. The BNCL team holds regular meetings to triage referrals and discuss cases. Any healthcare professional is welcome to attend these meetings to discuss a case and to determine if the involvement of our team would be beneficial.
The ‘BRIDGES Project' was developed in direct response to increasing numbers of youth and families accessing mental health crisis services over the past several years who also required intensive treatment services once their immediate crisis situation had been stabilized. Bridges provides a link between hospital and community offering intensive short-term (16 weeks) clinical intervention and skill building for youth and their families presenting with complex mental health needs.
Youth aged 13-17 years (up until their 18th birthday) who reside within the Champlain LHIN and are experiencing symptoms of complex mental illness (anxiety, depression, psychosis and/or emotional disregulation), and require enhanced services before transitioning to ongoing community-based mental health services.
At CHEO, a youth can only be referred to the Bridges program from our Emergency department, through Mental Health Urgent Care or from the Inpatient Mental Health Unit.
The Division of Child and Youth Protection (CYP) at CHEO provides specialized health assessments, medical opinions, and care for children, youth and families when there is a question of maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect). CYP provides consultation on medical aspects of maltreatment to healthcare providers, child welfare agencies, police, lawyers, and others. Lastly, CYP is responsible for reviewing all cases that CHEO staff and physicians report to a child welfare agency.
Our major emphasis is the provision of specialized medical services to children, youth and families where there is a question of abuse or neglect. The program works closely with a liaison worker from the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa, and the Emergency Department Sexual Assault/Abuse Program.
The division's services are based at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), which not only serves Ottawa but also Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, Nunavut, and parts of Northern Ontario.
CYP will provide consultation services for the following:
- A medical assessment regarding possible child maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect).
- An opinion on medical aspects of possible child maltreatment (e.g., injuries and their causes, underlying medical conditions).
- A request for general information about medical aspects of child maltreatment.
- To facilitate a partnership with CYP for the purpose of case management, research, education, or advocacy.
We are available for consultation 24 hours per day 7 days per week.
For any urgent (same day) matters, page the CYP physician on-call (24/7) or the CYP Social Worker (daytime hours).
For non-urgent referrals or requests, call CYP at 613-737-7600 x 2677 or fax a referral letter directly to CYP at 613-738-4834.
We are NOT the same as The Children's Aid Society or Child Welfare. We do not do forensic interviewing, investigation of risk to a child, or make recommendations for the child's living arrangements. The Children's Aid Societies in Ontario, the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Quebec, and the Department of Family Services in Nunavut are the legal child welfare authorities in CHEO's catchment area to which suspected abuse and neglect must, by law, be reported. These agencies are responsible (sometimes with police) for the investigation of the reports.
We are located on the 6th floor, West wing of the main CHEO building, in clinic C14 :
Mental Health - Neuropsychology (C14), CHEO
401 Smyth Road
Ottawa, ON. K1H 8L1
What is a neuropsychologist?
Clinical neuropsychology is a specialty field within psychology. Clinical neuropsychologists are dedicated to understanding the relationship between brain and behaviour through the assessment of cognitive and behavioural functioning. They have expertise related to brain structures, brain functions, and the impact of injury and illness on the brain. A neuropsychologist is usually consulted when there are developmental delays or changes in someone’s thinking skills (e.g., concentration, organization, reasoning, memory, language, perception, coordination). These issues may be due to medical, neurological, psychological, or genetic causes.
What is the difference between a neuropsychological assessment and a psychoeducational assessment?
Psychoeducational assessments are usually performed by clinical / school psychologists. These assessments typically include formal testing of a child’s intelligence (IQ) and academic achievement. Psychoeducational assessments seek to understand a child’s learning style and guide the development of classroom accommodations and supports from an educational perspective. They focus more on identifying the child’s difficulties in the classroom (i.e., what is happening) rather than examining the underlying brain origins and neurocognitive processes that are causing the child’s difficulties in the classroom (i.e., why it is happening).
Neuropsychological assessments are performed by neuropsychologists. These assessments examine how a child’s brain functions and how that functioning impacts the child’s behavior and learning. Neuropsychological assessments are typically much broader in scope, and thus usually take longer to administer. In addition to assessments of intelligence (IQ) and academic achievement, neuropsychological assessments include formal testing of specific thinking skills (executive functioning, visual-perceptual abilities, information processing, attention, and concentration, learning and memory, sensory perception, language, adaptive skills, and fine motor skills). A neuropsychological assessment can provide deeper insight into why students are having certain difficulties, what their learning strengths and challenges are, and what interventions can be used to successfully address their difficulties both in and outside of school. Neuropsychological assessments gather all of the data needed to provide diagnoses and recommend treatment for disabilities involving learning, language, attention, and executive functioning.
What happens during a neuropsychology assessment?
The assessment consists of a series of tests that resemble games and schoolwork. Some children enjoy the assessment while others might find it boring or difficult. Children are simply encouraged to do their best. There are no invasive tests.
Can a parent be present in the testing room?
Parents are not typically in the testing room. This helps ensure that every child is tested in the same way. Children are tested one-on-one in a room with the psychometrist or neuropsychologist. In some circumstances (e.g., severe anxiety), parents may come into the room initially to help their child adjust to the new surroundings and feel more comfortable. Please speak to your neuropsychologist if you have any further concerns or questions regarding this.
Does the parent have to stay for the duration of the assessment?
For children under 14, parents must remain in the waiting room throughout the assessment. Parents can bring a book or laptop while they wait. Their child will join them in the waiting room during breaks.
For youth aged 14 and up (and no major developmental delays), parents can drop them off and pick them up at the end of their appointment.
Will the report be shared with my child’s doctor?
A copy of the report will be added to your child’s medical chart and available to the referring CHEO physician. Another copy will be shared with you. You can then choose to provide a copy of the report to your child’ school. We highly encourage youth and parents to read the whole report before sharing it with their school.
Online/tele programs
About these services:
ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) is an innovative, technology enabled collaborative learning program. Through this program, Primary Care Providers and mental health clinicians work together to care more effectively for children and adolescents with mental health problems across Ontario. ECHO Ontario CYMH is fully funded by the Ministry of Health.
Our program is open to Primary Care Providers including:
- Physicians
- Pediatricians
- Nurse practitioners
- Registered nurses
- Physician assistants
- Those working on a team with Primary Care Providers
CPD, Mainpro+ and MOC's are provided for sessions attended, at no cost to the participant.
More information and the registration link can be found on our ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health webpage.
Top Row: Dr. Simone Kortstee, Josée Blackburn, Daniel Peregrym, Dr. Kathleen Pajer and Roxanne MacKay
Bottom Row: Veronica Hoch, Cindy Dawson, Dr. Hazen Gandy and Ghyslaine Paquette
TMHS is a province wide program that provides one-time consultation for a diagnosis and treatment recommendations, as well as a professional consultations, program consultations and education.
CHEO (Eastern Hib, SickKids (Central Hub) and Child-Parent Resource Institute (Western Hub) provides TMHS to designated mental health practitioners performing the role of a mental health service provider and who is affiliated with a publicly funded agency.
The program helps children and youth up to 18 years of age who reside in a rural, remote and/or underserved area and who have identified mental health needs.
The most responsible mental health practitioner must fill out the referral package and forward it to one of the 6 TeleMental Health Coordination Agencies. The referral will be sent to the centralized Intake at SickKids and triaged to one of the three hubs in the province. The consultation occurs via videoconferencing of the Ontario Telehealth Network (OTN).
For more information, view SickKids' TeleMental Health referral forms.
Visit our online resource section to learn about mental health resources and supports in the region, and access CHEO recommended websites, videos and more.
Mental health resources