Families in Halton region would benefit from the creation of a “one-stop shop” facility for mental health services. The current mental health system can be very difficult for families to navigate, and determining appropriate services/care can be a challenge. With the creation of a one-stop mental health ‘shop’, families would be able to receive guidance and recommendations from professionals, who would help them to manage the different issues they are facing and provide access to the appropriate treatment and/or services.
“I really like the idea of “one-stop shop” for mental health. If I were a family, I would want to be able to go somewhere and say “Here’s my problem, what do you want me to do?” and then be able to help me.” (FW)
An example of such a “one stop shop” can be seen in the three youth clinics started by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH, n.d), providing youth with a “range of services on a walk-in basis, including brief solution-focused therapy, peer support, system navigation, access to Internet-based tools, and onsite access to psychiatric services” (p. 1) in the community.
*please note: this is not the same as a Central Intake but rather a clinical setting, a physical space or spaces where youth can drop-in or be referred that provides treatment, preventative programming and referrals.
