(Whitby, ON) March 21, 2011 – After years of troubling behaviour, suspensions from school and run ins with the police Joan* finally found help for her son at the Prompt Care Clinic at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores).
Joan’s teenage son Marc* had struggled for years to manage what was diagnosed as ADHD. For years he was removed from many schools and community programs. One night after being kicked out of a group home he broke down in his mother’s car and began to cry. “His tears just started flowing. It was like a dam had begun to crack. As he cried he told me he was done with it and he really wanted to change.” says Joan.
She had always told her son she would never stop loving him or find the help he needed. Then, with a phone call to the Prompt Care Clinic at Ontario Shores, there was a glimmer of hope. The clinic provides care for individuals like Marc who require timely access to psychiatric services, but do not require an emergency department visit.
“I phoned them right away and with a referral from our family physician, Marc was seen by a social worker and a psychiatrist within a few days.” It took many services, programs, hospitals and waitlists for Marc to find the right place to meet his prompt mental health needs. Through the treatment at the Prompt Care Clinic, Joan says she and her son have a new sense of hope.
“There is a great need in the community for rapid access to specialized mental health care services,” says Sheila Neuburger, Vice-President, Clinical Services. “The Prompt Care Clinic provides individuals who are in a significant amount of
symptomatic distress with the more urgent care they need.”
Joan and Marc left the clinic feeling like the staff were compassionate and supportive, their questions were answered and felt the social worker and psychiatrist really cared.
“Without the assistance of the Prompt Clinic I shudder to think where Marc might be today.” says Joan. They felt encouraged and were armed with even more information about local resources and contact names in case they needed assistance in the future.
Any individuals in need of prompt mental health care services can be referred to the Prompt Care Clinic where a psychiatrist and nurse or social worker will provide clinical assessments and a care plan for follow up or shared care in the community. Consultations using Ontario Telemedicine Network’s video conferencing technology can also be provided in the patient’s home community to provide this unique service in distant areas.
Individuals who are symptomatic to the point where a significant amount of personal distress is evident and where distress may increase if there is a delay in treatment can be referred to this clinic. Generally, referrals will be contacted by telephone within a 24 hour period or the next business day, and assessment appointments will be made within three working days.
“The Prompt Care Clinic is helping individuals with mental health challenges access the care they need quickly,” says Dr. Anil Srivastava, Psychiatrist, Prompt Care Clinic.
The clinic is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will accept referrals from family physicians, walk-in clinic physicians, specialists or nurse practitioners. For more information about the Prompt Care Clinic, please contact the Central Intake Department at 877.767.9642.
About Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences:
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) is a leader in mental health care, providing a spectrum of specialized assessment and treatment services for people living with complex mental illness. Patients benefit from a recovery-oriented environment of care, built on compassion, inspiration and hope. Ontario Shores engages in research, education and advocacy initiatives to advance the mental health care system.
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For more information, please contact:
Andrea Worrall
Communications Officer
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
905-430-4055 ext. 6581
Cell: 905-439-0224
worralla@ontarioshores.ca
*Names have been changed to protect patient privacy