Community Mental Health Centres - Core Programs

There are thirteen Community Mental Health Centres (CMHC), each headed by a Director, responsible for the effective delivery of mental health services in a defined catchment area. Seven of these also act as Regional Directors, whose responsibilities are to maximize the use of regional mental health resources, and ensure effective linkages and coordination of services provided by the community mental health centres, the psychiatric unit, and other relevant agencies in the region.

Each CMHC is responsible for managing core community-based programs. As part of Performance Management, the Community Mental Health Directors are responsible for establishing a mechanism to ensure ongoing community, consumer, and family involvement. A community Advisory Committee (CAC) comprised of consumers, family, advocacy groups, and the public at large provides advice to each of the thirteen CMHCs.

Mental Health Services are provided through three core program areas:

This community based program is for individuals of all age groups who present a mental or emotional problem that interferes with their psychosocial functioning that they cannot overcome adequately without professional intervention.

The objectives of Acute Services are:

• To provide screening, assessment, 24-hour crisis intervention, short-term therapy, prevention, consultation and service delivery coordination.
• To direct clients to the mental health programs and/or community services appropriate to their needs.

Child and Adolescent Services

This program provides mental health services to children and adolescents from birth to eighteen years inclusive. Mental health services are designed to support the promotion, enhancement, and protection of mental health within the context of environmental factors; and the prevention, treatment, and recovery from mental health problems in relation to mental disorders, emotional disturbances and/or severe adjustment problems.

The objectives of Child and Adolescent Services are:

• To provide individualized assessment, treatment and evaluation services in accordance with the unique needs and potentials of each child.
• To provide crisis services as needed.
• To provide consultation and education to partners in the provision of services to children and adolescents, including the family.
• To take a leadership role in promotion of resiliency and good mental health in children and adolescents, as well as prevention of mental illness.

All children and adolescents in need of mental health services will receive an initial screening assessment before a decision is taken regarding eligibility to services.

Adult Long Term Services

This program is for individuals in need of treatment and rehabilitative mental health services and who present a combination of factors relating to diagnosis, duration of illness and level of disability.

The objectives of Adult Long Term Services are to:

• Provide treatment and monitoring services.
• Provide psychosocial rehabilitation services and supports.
• Facilitate community integration and the achievement of an optimal quality of life, material well being and self-fulfillment.
• Maximize client potential and resources.
• Facilitate the participation of clients in their community and the development of their own social network.
• Support client advocacy and rights protection.
• Support client recovery by increasing his/her capability to manage stress and difficulties related to the chronic mental illness and loss of functionality.
• Ensure client participation in all phases of service planning and delivery.

Please click here to view the addresses of the community mental health centers.

Click here to view the Adobe PDF file named:
"Community Health Centres: Programs and Services" (37KB) for more detail.