Outpatient Adult Mental Health Program

The Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment & Health (EmPATH) Clinic provides assessment and consultation for adults aged 18 years and older who are experiencing an acute situational or mental health crisis which requires prompt care.  EmPATH provides the following services:

• Urgent psychiatric assessment and recommendations for treatment will be made at the time of assessment
• This may include access to psychotherapy where appropriate, a referral to hospital programs and/or community resources
• Brief intervention (four to five sessions) may be offered through EmPATH, and may involve follow-up with our interdisciplinary team and/or psychopharmacological treatment
• Please note, this is not a crisis service, and there may be no further involvement with our team dependent on your initial assessment
• Please review the EmPATH Clinic Patient Information Sheet for additional information including what to expect after your referral has been received

The Adult Mental Health Program offers urgent psychotherapy services, which provide assessment, and psychotherapy for adults 18+ who are experiencing an acute situational or mental health crisis which requires prompt care.  Psychotherapy services include the following:

• Brief intervention (4-6 sessions) offering Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Discharge recommendations and referral to hospital programs and/or community resources
• Wellness & Coping groups may be offered to registered outpatients within the Adult Mental Health Program (Urgent Outpatient Services).  These groups are offered virtually and in person.  

Do I need a referral?

Yes, referrals are required for both the non-urgent and urgent Adult Mental Health Program streams.

The non-urgent stream requires a referral from a medical doctor or nurse practitioner. If you do not have a family physician, we accept referrals from walk-in clinics.

Referrals from the urgent stream are only accepted internally from the KGH Emergency Department, HDH Urgent Care Centre, Inpatient Mental Health & Addiction Program and the Consult/Liaison Psychiatry Team.

What happens after I am referred?

Once a non-urgent referral is received, the referring practitioner will receive correspondence either accepting the referral and advising of the current wait time or recommending alternate services that may better fit your needs.

Once we have accepted your referral, you will be placed on a waitlist for a telephone call from an intake nurse, which could take up to a year, dependent on the current referral volume.  At the time of intake call, you will either be given an appointment, or be placed on our waitlist for the next available appointment.

Once an urgent referral is received, you will be contacted by an intake nurse. We aim to contact patients referred from the Emergency Department or Inpatient Mental Health Unit within 72 hours, however this may take longer depending on when the referral was received, and whether we need to obtain collateral information.

At the time of intake call, you will either be given an appointment, be placed on our waitlist for the next available appointment or be advised that your case will be discussed during interdisciplinary rounds with an outcome to follow.

What can I expect when referred through the urgent stream?

You can expect various outcomes, based on your referral and the intake information gathered:

• You may be booked with psychiatry

• You may be placed on a waitlist for a future appointment

• You may be enrolled in group psychotherapy

• We may recommend services that better meet your needs

• Your referral may be closed owing to adequate services already in place for you

What services are not provided?

The Adult Mental Health Program is unable to provide the following services:

• Disability follow-up appointments as part of employment Insurance

• Canada Pension Plan

• Workplace Safety & insurance Board

• Ontario Disability Support Program requirements

• Independent Medical Evaluations for Court & Child Welfare Assessments

• Forensics or Capacity Assessments

The non-urgent stream does not offer counseling services, crisis services or urgent appointments.

How long will I be followed in the Adult Mental Health Program?

Length of treatment is patient-specific and can range from a single consultation visit to a short-term follow-up period. The program does not follow patients for a significant length of time, due to capacity. It is anticipated that patient care will be resumed by a primary care provider.

The urgent stream is a brief intervention service focused on stabilization from acute mental health crisis. Emphasis is placed on individuals building skills necessary for coping to utilize prior to gaining access to other services that can offer prolonged care.

What areas do we serve?

The program sees patients in the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington area. If you reside outside of that area and have questions about what mental health agency is in your area, please contact our clinical intake coordinator at 613-544-3400 ext. 3700 or search the Connex Ontario website.

What If I need medication refills?

The program psychiatrist may prescribe medication or recommend your referring practitioner initiate the medication. Once you have been discharged, it will be the responsibility of your referring practitioner to continue prescribing the medication. Should you not have a family physician, we recommend attending a walk-in clinic to access refills.

We are unable to book patients for a psychiatric assessment solely for providing medication refills.

Will a health care learner be present during my appointment?

As part of KHSC, and in collaboration with Queen’s University, St. Lawrence College and other educational institutions we often have students and learners from across many disciplines participate in our various clinics.

• Psychiatry residents (licensed medical doctor that is undergoing their psychiatry training)

• Clinical fellows (a licensed psychiatrist who is training in a specialized psychiatric field)

In the Adult Mental Health Program we have both international and Canadian doctors training in sub-specialty streams.

• Clerk/Medical student present for your assessment. All psychiatric care will be provided under the supervision of AMHP Staff Psychiatrist, who you may or may not see in-person.

• Allied Health care providers - Many of our allied health care providers also provide field placements or internships for several disciplines including nursing, occupational therapy, and social work which may involve learners working in the services being provided to you by our provided.  What if I cannot attend my appointment?  Do you have a no-show policy? 

What if I cannot attend my appointment?  Do you have a no-show policy? 

We have very high referral volume and a lengthy waitlist and it is important that you attend your appointment. If you must cancel, please notify us at least 24 hours prior, so that we can fill the vacant spot. If you cancel in advance, we will gladly rebook you, but you may have to wait several months.

A no-show for a new patient assessment will result in an automatic file closure, and a re-referral will be required to be seen again.

What is a group session?

A group session allows people to learn new skills and hear from others who may have similar experiences dealing with mental health concerns. Participants may share their thoughts and feelings with others if they are comfortable.

Will my appointment be in person or virtually?

Your appointment may occur in person or virtually.  This will be discussed during your telephone intake when your email address is collected.  You will receive an appointment notice letter with this information.

For a virtual appointment, the secretary will email you a link to attend. This link may not be sent until the day before your scheduled appointment and will provide clear instructions.

Are there other services/resources available?

Other resources can be found on the Community Resources page.