PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES

Description of Services
Psychiatry provides assessment and consultation for children, adolescents and their families referred to Children's Centre - Thunder Bay. Psychiatry consults to other professionals on concerning, serious or challenging cases. Psychiatry provides professional education, and clinical consultation in the development and advocacy for services and programs. Service is provided as a psychiatric resource for children, adolescents and their families referred to Children's Centre - Thunder Bay.

Services provided are case consultation and psychiatric assessment leading to diagnosis, formulation and treatment planning.  Psychiatry provides professional education, and takes part in the development and advocacy for services and programs.

The clinical problems are serious in nature, involve specific medical or psychiatric concerns, or have failed to progress in treatment.

Referral Source
Referrals for direct consultation and psychiatric assessment is requested through the assigned Case Manager.

Description of the Client
Psychiatry tends to see children and adolescents in these broad categories:

• Complex, serious, longstanding problems where the broad education of the child psychiatrist is needed. Cases of serious family dysfunction, where individual pathology and family functioning need to be understood together are often seen.
• Psychiatric concerns such as ADHD, serious disorders such as major depression, bipolar illness and schizophrenia; or where affective or conduct symptoms are severe.
• Referrals where there is a traditional, societal or legal role such as in the assessment of danger to self or others; mental health act issues.
• Referrals where the psychiatrist has a particular expertise or interest.

Program Responsibilities

• Provide psychiatric assessment, treatment and follow-up.
• Provide indirect case consultations to agency case managers regarding cases which are complex, difficult or involving possible psychiatric disorder on an as needed basis (e.g. joining clinical teams for case discussions).
• Provide timely direct case consultation to case managers within the agency (i.e. by actually seeing and assessing the child and/or family).
• Assist with professional training and education across the agency.
• Maintain links with medical and psychiatric communities and relevant professional associations.
• Develop improved cooperative work with other professionals and agencies in the community.
• Assist in the development of knowledge and skills across the agency in critical clinical areas (e.g. crisis management, eating disorders, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the management of suicidal behaviour).
• Maintain linkages to the medical and psychiatric communities, and to the broader health community and to support the development of quality mental health services.