Child & Youth Mental Health Programs
As an integrated child and family services agency, we offer Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) services to families with children (under the age of 18) living in the District of Muskoka. Below is a full list of the various programs offered by the Family Connexions CYMH team.
Our services and programs are available in both English and French to children ages 0-18 and their caregivers residing in The District of Muskoka. When you first contact us to access our services, we will ask questions about your identity and culture to help us support you better.
The Muskoka Child & Youth Mental Health Counselling Clinic provides a therapeutic session and can be your first step to accessing CYMH services. To speak with a professional and/or to arrange in-person or virtual support for a child or youth or their family, please call 705-645-4426 ext.6270 Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm.
Child and Youth Mental Health services may include Brief Services, Counseling and Therapy Services, Intensive Treatment, Crisis Support, Specialized Consultation and Assessment, Family Capacity Building, Coordinated Service Planning and Youth Justice Services.
The confidential Child & Youth Mental Health 24/7 crisis line can be accessed by calling 1.844.287.9072.
This voluntary service is available to children, youth and their families who are experiencing mental health difficulties that require support beyond our Muskoka Child & Youth Mental Health Counselling Clinic. Therapy is evidence-based and tailored to meet the needs of each child or youth and family. Culture, family and community are important to supporting these services and help determine the appropriate setting and frequency of service. Participation in services is voluntary.
This service provides a range of intensive and flexible in-home and community-based services for children, youth with mental health needs. The Intensive Treatment Service program is concentrated over ten to twelve weeks. The program serves to strengthen the capacity of families to support their children as well as the ability of children and youth to function effectively in their homes and community.
Our therapists offer various group programming, based on need and demand. A referral to these programs can be completed out of a single session counselling session or as recommended by an ongoing therapist.
Some of the groups periodically offered are:
Enhancing Attachments is a five-session program for foster, adoptive and kin-parents designed to assist them to better understand and support the children in their homes who have experienced trauma and attachment disruptions.
Triple P groups (0-12 and teen) is a family intervention for parents of children who have or are at risk of developing behavior problems. It is a preventive program that promotes positive, caring relationships between parents and their children, and helps parents develop effective strategies for dealing with a variety of childhood behavior problems and common developmental issues
Coordinated Service Planning is a family-centred approach focused on making it easier for families with children and youth with multiple and/or complex special needs to connect to the right services and support.
Coordinated Service Planning is a voluntary service that is offered to families who:
- Have a child/youth who is involved with multiple agencies providing specialized services (e.g., rehabilitation services, autism services, developmental services, and/or respite supports, special education).
- Have a child/youth who is experiencing ongoing challenges related to their development (e.g., physical, communication, intellectual, emotional, social and/or behavioural, mental health).
- Have identified that they are struggling with coordinating services for their child/youth, and
- May be experiencing external barriers which make it difficult to coordinate services for their child/youth.
For more information or to download a referral form, please visit: https://www.cspmuskokanipissingparrysound.ca/
This program is mandated by the Youth Criminal Justice Act for certain offences and is an alternative to traditional court processes. To access this program a youth needs to be referred by the Crown Attorney and/or the OPP.
Youth (12–17 yrs old), their parents, and the persons harmed typically participate in a Justice Circle facilitated by YJC volunteers. The youth are given an opportunity to make amends for their behaviour and understand the impact their behaviour has had on themselves, others and the broader community. The individual harmed is given the opportunity to be heard and partake in what they believe is appropriate restitution. When the youth has completed the sanctions and fulfilled the conditions of the agreement, the charges are withdrawn.
Our CYMH programming has access to specialized consultation and assessments (i.e. psychiatric and psychological) to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of a child or youth with mental health needs as part of their mental health treatment plan.
Child & Youth Mental Health Crisis is a service available to a child or youth at risk of harming themselves or others, or if their emotions and behaviors seem extreme and out of control. This service is available 24/7 by calling 1.844.287.9072.
This service is available to families in the community, as well to youth in crisis who presents at a hospital.
