Outpatient Adult Mental Health Program

The Adult Mental Health Program at KHSC’s Hotel Dieu Hospital site is a multi-disciplinary health team that offers non-urgent and urgent short-term intervention outpatient services. The program provides assessment, consultation, pharmacological treatment and group psychotherapy for adults aged 18 years and older with one or more mood and anxiety disorders. 

​Non-urgent Services

We provide the following non-urgent services and supports:

  • General psychiatry consultation with limited short-term follow-up
  • Access to psychotherapy where appropriate. (Please note we are unable to accept referrals from the community directly for psychotherapy)
  • Once treatment is completed, patients are discharged back to their referring clinician with recommendations.

Registration for this program is done on a referral basis only. Learn how to make a referral here. 

Urgent Services

We offer urgent short-term intervention outpatient services for those who have recently experienced a mental health emergency and have recently been discharged from Kington General Hospital (KGH) Emergency Department or inpatient psychiatry. This outpatient service offers transitional support that focuses on:

  • Supporting individuals in their recovery
  • Helping to develop coping skills
  • Taking responsibility for their mental health and well-being

These supports may offer an alternative to hospitalization.  We operate within a multi-disciplinary health team, and provide the following services/supports:

Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment & Health (EmPATH) Clinic

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
Psychotherapy

The Adult Mental Health Program offers urgent Psychotherapy Services, which provides assessment, and psychotherapy for adults 18+ who are experiencing an acute situational or mental health crisis which requires prompt care.  Psychotherapy services includes 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.  Please review our sample group poster for additional information (please note these groups are subject to change).

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

Contact Us 

Phone
613-544-3400  ext. 3700
1-855-544-3400 (toll free)

Fax
613-548-6032 (referrals only)

Email
@email (for intake and referrals)
AMHP@kingstonhsc.ca (general inquiries only)

Email accounts are intermittently monitored. For urgent inquires please call.

Mailing Address
Hotel Dieu Hospital site, Johnson 5
166 Brock Street, 
Kingston, ON

 Directions within the hospital

The Adult Mental Health Program is located on Johnson 5 at Hotel Dieu Hospital site:

  • Take the main elevators (located in the lobby) to the fifth floor
  • Turn right when leaving the elevators and follow the  hallway to the Johnson Wing
  • Please check in at reception prior to taking a seat in the waiting room

Frequently Asked Questions

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, dependant 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. Some patients have just one consult visit and some may have short-term follow-up. It is not within the program’s mandate or capacity to follow patients for a significant length of time. Our model always anticipates patient care will be resumed by a primary care provider.

The urgent stream is a brief intervention service.

What areas do we serve?

The AMHP 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?

If your psychiatrist starts you on a medication, they may prescribe it themselves or they may recommend your referring practitioner initiate the medication. Once you have been discharged from the AMHP, 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 the purpose of 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? 

We have very high referral volume and a lengthy waitlist; therefore, it is important that you attend your appointments. However, 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, however, please be advised that 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 by the intake nurse.  You will be provided 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 on how to proceed. Please note that you must use the internet browser Chrome for the virtual visit to be effective. 

Are there other services/resources available?

Other resources can be found on the Community Resources page