Primary Care input needed on interface with child and youth mental health services

Many families first attempt to access child and youth mental health care through you; their family doctor, pediatrician, walk-in clinic or hospital emergency department. Primary care professionals often report feeling ill-equipped to manage child and youth mental health concerns. To further complicate matters, community-based child and youth mental health services typically have limited funding and long waitlists. Children, youth and families need a more efficient and effective system of mental health care with more collaborative, coordinated partnerships across primary care and child and youth mental health sectors. The Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health’s latest policy-ready paper will summarize the latest knowledge on evidence-informed approaches to ensuring a seamless interface between Ontario’s primary care system and community-based child and youth mental health service systems. A key step in this process is to ask community-based service providers, primary care physicians and professionals, families and youth what they think: What’s working, what’s not, and how things can be improved? They’re looking to engage primary care professionals in a one-hour telephone conversation about your insights and experiences on the intersection of Ontario’s primary care and child and youth mental health services. Say what worked, what didn’t and how things can be improved. By participating, you’re helping to shape how child and youth mental health services are delivered in Ontario and identify priorities for change. Interested individuals will be contacted throughout July and early August to schedule a one-hour telephone interview. They can also host a telephone focus group with multiple participants. If you have an existing group meeting they could call into, let them know. This document provides additional details on the project and process. For more information on this policy-ready paper and to RSVP, please contact Veronica Hoch at vhoch@cheo.on.ca or by phone at 613-737-2297 ext. 3478.