Over the last several years, the children’s mental health sector has seen a growing complexity of needs being presented for services that have challenged the current provisions available. With growing complexity often comes increased barriers to accessing services, requiring agencies to become more dynamic and flexible in the way we respond to our communities’ needs.  

Partners in the Southwest Region have collectively endeavored to launch programming that have adopted the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) models of practice and care to address these growing needs. Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Regional Children’s Centre, St. Clair Child and Youth and Vanier Children's Mental Wellness have each launched variations of the ACT model tailored to children and youth and their families. Presenters wish to share our learnings, data and successes with the hopes to support others looking to meet their community’s needs in unique ways.

Learning Objectives

1. Consider the role of mobile and flexible service delivery models, like ACT, to support children, youth and their families with complex mental health needs.

2. Provide provincial partners with an understanding on the development, implementation and sustainability of an ACT-C/Y program.

3. Explore how the ACT Model can be adapted to meet the unique needs within the child and youth mental health sector, while upholding the core principles of ACT.

4. Identify practical strategies for team coordination, family engagement, and community integration.