Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority’s Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health Program is multi-disciplinary for children, adolescents and their families who live in the region. It aims to provide comprehensive and strengths-based mental health assessments, recommendations, and time-limited treatment options to children and adolescents who are having difficulty regulating their emotions, behaviour, and/or mental health. The program also provides consultation for those children and adolescents who may be presenting symptoms suggestive of a mental health problem/illness and/or a co-occurring disorder.

The Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health Program offers:

• Recovery-oriented, short term, individualized therapy, with a focus of individual and family recovery.
• Referrals and/or consultation with internal and external resources.
• Case management — which may include advocacy, connecting to community resources and services, goal setting, and recovery planning.

For more information on the Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health Program, please call Central Intake at:  1-866-757-6205 toll free or  204-785-7752 Ext. 2 (Selkirk and area). Note that you can refer yourself to our program through Central Intake.

Strongest Families Institute for Youth and Families

Strongest Families Institute (SFI) offers telephone-based coaching to youth and families with no wait time for services. Participants receive handbooks or can utilize SFI’s smart website to access information. Group or one-on-one coaching is available. There are four programs available:

• Parents Empowering Kids – Behaviour Difficulties Program (for caregivers with children between the ages of 3-14)
  • This program helps parents learn to deal with common childhood behaviour problems such as temper outbursts, not listening, verbal and physical aggression and difficulties paying attention.
• Child Anxiety – Anxiety Program (ages 6-11)
  • This program educates parents and children about anxiety and guides them as they learn relaxation skills and how to face worry in real life.
• Defeat Anxiety – Anxiety Program (ages 12 – 17)
  • This program helps youth learn skills to overcome, control and gradually face their anxiety.
• Dry Nights Ahead – Nighttime Bedwetting (ages 5 – 12)
  • This program helps children overcome bedwetting with the use of a urine alarm, reward system, and weekly telephone support from a coach.

Parents/Caregivers can enroll their children for these four programs directly by filling out the SFI Universal Online Referral Form Child and Youth. 

If you have any questions about Strongest Families Institute, please feel free to contact Child and Adolescent Central Intake at 204-785-7752 x 2.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of questions will Central Intake ask when I call?
It is important to know that anyone is welcome to call Central Intake, even if they are only looking for information or if they are not sure if they or their loved one would benefit from Community Mental Health services.
When a youth or parent/legal guardian calls, they will schedule an over-the-phone assessment with one of the Central Intake staff.  Nothing has to be prepared in advance; Central Intake will ask about the youth’s daily life and experiences so they can match the youth with the services that best meet the youth’s needs.  Central Intake may ask about the youth’s mood, sleep, appetite, energy level, prescribed medications, safety questions (e.g. if the youth had had thoughts about suicide or if the youth has had any recent losses), and what the youth’s goals are for accessing mental health services.
At the end of the conversation, Central Intake will provide recommendations on what services would be best to help the youth and some suggestions of what can be done at home to help the youth feel better.  If you have any further questions, please call Central Intake toll free at 1-866-757-6205 or 204-785-7752.

How can I help my child/adolescent to prepare for the first appointment?

Tell your child/adolescent that together, you are going to talk to someone about your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours to see if they can help.

What do I do if my child/adolescent will not come to the appointment?
If you cannot get your child/adolescent to the appointment, just give us a call and we will do some problem solving.

What do I do if my child/adolescent will not talk when we get to the appointment?

It is very common for children/adolescents to be anxious and not talk when they come to the appointment. It is not a concern; we will do everything we can to make sure your child feels comfortable.

What is my role as parent/caregiver in my child/adolescent’s ongoing mental health care?

Children do better when caregivers are involved in their treatment. Your child/adolescent’s provider may encourage you to connect with them at the beginning and end of sessions. Practicing new skills learned in session, at home, can make counselling work better, boost your child/adolescent’s confidence and improve therapy’s success.

Keeping your child/adolescent’s mind healthy is like helping them to keep their body healthy – it takes daily practice. For example, just like it requires building new skills into routine for a child/adolescent to learn to manage a health condition like diabetes, it takes regular practice to support your child/adolescent in using new tools and skills to work towards wellbeing.

Are the things that are discussed with my child/adolescent kept confidential?

In order to maintain a therapeutic relationship with the child, we do not disclose everything to the parent/legal guardian, except if they have intent to hurt themselves or someone else. We can share information with the primary health care provider and the treatment team on a consultative basis.

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