The Family, Child and Youth Clinic is located on Brock 5 of Kingston Health Sciences Centre's Hotel Dieu Hospital site. It offers treatment for children and youth up to their eighteenth birthday, and their families who are struggling with anxiety, depression, attention-deficit disorders, behavioural problems, learning difficulties and other serious mental health concerns and family dysfunction that have not improved with previous interventions.
This clinic offers specific services in neurodevelopmental disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, family therapy, psychological testing, and individual and/or group therapy. At the initial consultation, if it is determined that psychiatric services are required, a psychiatrist, or psychiatric resident / fellow will step in, or a subsequent consultation appointment will be scheduled. Psychiatric consultation and psychological assessments are conducted on an as needed basis in collaboration with the psychiatrist and/or psychologist.
Children or youth presenting with serious suicidal ideation / self-harm or feeding / eating disorders are referred to our Urgent Consult Clinic and Eating Disorders Clinic respectively. Less serious referrals are directed to access services from their local children's mental health providers across southeastern Ontario.
Family Therapy Service
The Family Therapy Service provides family therapy for families presenting with a wide range of family problems including family members with acute and chronic psychiatric illness. Family therapy is considered a form of psychotherapy that places primary emphasis on the family system with the aim of affecting change in the entire family structure. The treatment places its focus on family communication, interactional problems, conflict between members with the goal of improved individual and family functioning. Length of treatment can vary from short to longer-term therapy depending on the nature of the presenting problem.
The Family Therapy Service uses a team approach in that families / couples are interviewed by a therapist with the team members observing behind a one-way mirror which allows for immediate consultation from a team of experts.
Neurodevelopmental Service
Staffed by a psychological associate, psychometrist, social worker, behaviour therapist and occupational therapist, this service primarily sees patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder, and addictions.
Services offered include individual, group (parent, children and youth) and family therapy, psychological assessment; autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) testing and functional assessments.
Mood and Anxiety Service
Staffed by a psychologist, social worker, behaviour therapist, occupational therapist and psychiatrists this service primarily sees patients with anxiety and mood disorders including self-harming behaviours, mood dysregulation, poor coping skills (personality disorders), and co-morbid addictions.
Services offered include medication management; individual, group (parent, children and youth) and family therapy, psychological / educational assessment and personality assessment.
Psychology Services
Psychologists are an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team in providing treatment and assessment for children and youth. Psychologists within our division also provide clinical supervision, implement treatment and assessment guidelines, and conduct program evaluation and research to determine best practices to meet the needs of children and youth referred to our program. Psychologists work collaboratively both within our multi-disciplinary team and with community partners to identify mental health needs and develop ways to best support children and youth in our community.
Psychological assessment includes diagnostic and psycho-educational assessments to guide treatment planning and recommendations for ongoing supports both at school and in the community. Assessments are completed by psychologists, psychological associates, and psychometrists under the supervision of a psychologist. Psychological assessments are provided as part of the treatment plan and referrals are made only when the child or youth is already receiving treatment within the program. We do not accept external referrals for psychological assessment.
School Consultation Service
This service provides multi-disciplinary team consultation and ongoing support for group therapy and individual behaviour therapy to the following classrooms in the Limestone District School Board (LDSB) which is the largest of the four school boards in the Kingston region.
Students Overcoming Anxiety and Becoming Resilient (SOAR 23) Classroom is a section 23 classroom for eight children in grades 5 to 8 situated in a LDSB school. Referrals are accepted from all school boards, and made by school staff, family doctors, or Child and Youth Mental Health Program.
The classroom consists of a teacher and educational assistant. Our psychologist provides ongoing consultation and support in the classroom, and psychiatric support is provided as needed for new assessments, medication management or brief family interventions in the classroom on site (one afternoon a week). All students are open as patients in the Child and Youth Mental Health Program.
Group Therapy
A variety of research-driven and best-practice groups are available through the program.
Contact Information
Phone: 613-544-3400 extension 3406 or 2554
Fax: 613-544-7623
Email: @email
