 Children's Mental Health
Intake Mental Health
and Development
The primary function of the Intake Mental Health
and Development program is to conduct
assessments of children from birth to age eighteen
years. The purpose of the intake process is to
determine what agency services best meet the
needs of the child and his/her family and to make
recommendations for treatment.
Short Term Assessment and
Treatment (STAT)
The short term assessment and treatment program
(STAT) offers immediate intervention for children,
youth and their families who are experiencing a
current crisis. These crisis situations include serious
risk of harm to self or others, a recent traumatic
event, self harm behavior and severe emotional
difficulties/behavioral problems. The primary role of
the STAT worker is to stabilize the crisis situation
and determine the need for further service.
Mental Health Consultant Team
The Mental Health 0-6 team offers child counseling
and parenting guidance to support children with
behavioral and emotional needs. These services
are provided across the municipality in the family
home, child-care facility, kindergarten setting
and/or office locations. Parenting recommendations,
service coordination, child counseling, childcare
programming and advocacy services are all
provided by a Child and Family Consultant.
Mental Health Casework Team
The Mental Health team offers individual, family and group counseling, as well as
psycho-educational groups for children aged 6 to
17 with emotional, behavioral and/or psychological
problems. These are children who are identified
as having a need for ongoing support and
counseling. Services are provided across the
municipality in the homes and schools of our
clients, and in the agency’s satellite offices located
throughout the municipality.
Family Group Conferencing
Family Group Conferencing is a program offered by Mental Health for families referred by Protection Services. The FGC Coordinator prepares a one-day event for the family, including relatives and friends, to design a plan that addresses the safety concerns of the Children’s Aid Society. A meal and childcare are provided so that the group can comfortably take the time needed to be creative with ideas and take care of each other’s feelings through the process. When the group has made a plan, they are joined by Protection staff to review it and come to an agreement together on the plan for the children.
Family Group Conferencing is a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution that has been endorsed across Ontario by the Ministry of Child and Youth Services. FGC brings together the extended family to strengthen that network and keep children living among relatives when that is a safe option. As a form of ADR, the program tries to prevent or shorten involvement in the court system, which can be time-consuming and costly. The FGC Coordinator is a neutral third party who takes no position about what a family’s plan should be. To maintain the Coordinator’s distance from Protection, the agency rents an office for the FGC program outside the CKCS building.
How can I Tell?
Some mental health disorders are easy to overlook,
unlike a heart problem or a broken leg. It’s often
difficult to identify, for example, whether a child is
simply sad or suicidal.
The way a child or youth acts or behaves may be
a sign that he or she has a mental health need.
Ask yourself if this behavior:
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