Kootenay Boundary Division of Family Practice

Child/Youth Mental Health

Background

Kootenay Boundary Shared Care joined an IH-wide collaborative project to address concerns about child and youth mental health services and system tensions. The project received support and funding through Doctors of BC, the Ministry of Health, Interior Health, and the Ministry for Children and Families.

The scope of the Collaborative relates to access, referral, and feedback processes, protocols and policies that are within the mandate of the sponsors and teams. In addition, the scope includes breaking down communication barriers among practitioners and providers, so that youth and families do not have to constantly repeat their stories to people representing silo services.

CYMH Project Objectives >

 

Child and Youth Mental Health Substance Use Pathways to Care

Brochure to help families find support for children with mental health and/or substance use needs:

CYMHSU Referral Pathways: Referral resource for Family Physicians

 

Newly launched KB Searchlight website helps youth and families 

KB Searchlight is a new web resource designed to help youth and families locate and navigate child youth mental health and substance use services in Kootenay Boundary.

The site features an illustrated family friendly geographic map, crisis information, links to local services and provincial resources, parent welcome video, and a FAQ page which includes a youth’s perspective. Physicians can refer youth and families to this page for detailed information about CYMHSU services and program types.

Visit the Searchlight website >

 

CYMHSU report card published

Find out why the Child and Youth Mental Health & Substance Use Collaborative makes Dr. Iyiola’s “heart gallop” – Click here to download the CYMHSU report card.

 

Wait times reduced

The Kootenay Boundary LAT has made inroads into its wait list (from 140 in 2013 to 11 in 2014) for the month of September) through a variety of actions, some inspired by the team and others as the result of work by individual organizations. An in-house child & youth psychiatrist has also contributed to reducing wait times for psychiatric and mental health services.

MCFD is in the process of implementing its new clinical intake system that will reduce the number of third party referrals and increase the capacity to timely continual care. Referrals to the child & youth psychiatrist are made directly to CYMH offices throughout the Kootenay Boundary region, and are screened closely upon receipt to ensure they are appropriate for MCFD services and immediately referred on if the client is better served elsewhere. 

A number of prevention initiatives have been implemented, including MCFD's FRIENDS for Life program (a school-based, anxiety prevention and resiliency program resource for teachers and parents of children K to Grade 7) and Mind Check.

 

Learning session three in Kelowna

On March 5-6, members of the KB Child Youth Mental Health Substance Use Action Team attended Learning Session 3 in Kelowna. Improvements, promising practices, and tools were highlighted and the KB Action Team presented their new video starring Tyler and Kirby, youth action team members, who share their struggles with mental health issues and their ideas about everyone working together.

Click here to see the video >