Many children struggle with issues related to their emotional, behavioral and mental health, which can cause significant distress and impair their development and functioning at home, at school, and in the community. Through prevention, early identification and intervention efforts, the burden of their struggles can be reduced.
The Child and Youth Access program helps children, youth and families deal with mental health issues, including behavioral, psychological, and emotional challenges. The program provides timely, appropriate and effective assistance that respects and promotes the independence and self-determination of participants.
The aim of the program is to provide flexible and easily accessible assessment, crisis intervention and counseling services for children and youth in need of mental health care. In addition, Child and Youth Access offers individual psychological assessments for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment planning and also provides individual and family assessments to determine needs and recommend appropriate interventions.
Child and Youth Access provides a range of services, including:
- Individual and family counselling and assessment
- Crisis intervention
- Consultation with parents, caregivers and professionals
- Psychological assessment
Qualified therapists provide this service free of charge to Burnaby residents.
How Child and Youth Access Can Help
Children and youth referred to the Child and Youth Access program may have emotional, behavioral, and/or psychological difficulties. Through Child and Youth Access, participants have access to skilled professional intervention to help gain insight into these difficulties and decide what to do about easing or eliminating them.
Child and Youth Access is a short-term counseling and intervention service and most participants are seen for up to ten sessions. In some cases, extensions may be possible. After completing the program, participants may be referred to other appropriate community resources for follow-up, or longer-term care, as required.
Participation
Child and Youth Access is open to:
- Children and youth who are up to 18 years of age and are residents of Burnaby;
- Children and youth who are displaying signs of emotional and/or behavioral difficulties whose parents and school request psychological assessment in order to plan for their care;
- Children and youth who are in special care homes and who are posing serious management challenges;
- Family members, caregivers of children and youth including foster parents and specialized residential care facility staff who are in need of professional consultation; and,
- Children and youth in their natural families who are at risk of coming into care.
The Child and Youth Access program accepts referrals from a variety of sources. Many of the children, youth and families we serve through Child and Youth Access have come to us because they have found it difficult to access regular services. Participants may be referred by school counsellors or teachers, public health or other community agencies, mental health therapists, probation officers, alcohol and drug counsellors, or by social workers at the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
To participate in the program, a completed referral form must be submitted. Please contact us at info@stleo.ca to obtain a referral form.
Funding for this program is provided by the Ministry of Children and Family Development.