Child & youth mental health
Mental health problems relate to our behaviour, emotions and relationships.
Serious mental health problems in childhood can include depression, anxiety, unmanageable behaviour, and an inability to get along with others.
These problems can cause much stress and heartache to children, youth, their families, their teachers, and the community. In addition, they often lead to even more serious mental health problems in adulthood.
A wide range of programs and services staffed by well-trained professionals who are connected to other local and provincial services is available to support your child and your family.
We help youth who have a mental health challenge through these programs:
Through spending time with the youth and their family, counselors can provide an assessment based on observations, and recommend a particular type of treatment or a treatment plan.
- Once treatment is determined, the youth, their family, and all Hands professionals involved can identify goals or milestones and work together to monitor the path to achieving these goals that are tailored to the child’s individual needs.
There are 3 levels of School Mental Health involvement:
1. Classroom
School Mental Health facilitators from Hands meet with teachers to collaborate and develop a plan that will assist the youth to be successful at school.
2. Group
School Mental Health facilitators from Hands form groups where youth are taught new skills and strategies to promote success at school. The new skills are practiced within the group setting and students are encouraged to use their newly developed skills in their day-to-day life.
3. Individual
Both Classroom and Group involvement processes are used along with one-on-one support with the youth to problem solve, teach new skills, coach, and provide counseling support within the school setting.
Our Hands residential facility is located in North Bay, and serves youth living in the districts of Nipissing, Parry Sound and Muskoka. Treatment and support is administered by Hands facilitators who work in shifts at the treatment setting. The in-depth relationships that are built between the Hands facilitators and youth at the residence allow for accurate analysis and assessment of the individual’s specific needs and that information is used to tailor a treatment plan specific to the resident’s individual needs. The Hands facilitators working with youth at the treatment home, have unique opportunities to help the residents connect their feelings and actions, and to develop that self knowledge to applying strategies for personal growth and development.
We provide crisis assessment, de-escalation, stabilization and time-limited intervention to children/youth and their families. This may include, but isn’t limited to:
The Parry Sound Youth Justice Committee provides accountability, meaningful resolution and reparation between youth in conflict with the law, their victims and their community. The program is voluntary, and every participant in a conference has an equal voice.
Youth Justice Committee is composed of trained community members who meet with victims, young people who are willing to take responsibility for their actions (between the ages of 12-17 years old) accused of minor offences and other participants as appropriate to negotiate an agreement whereby the young person can make amends for his/her actions. The program offers an alternative to the traditional court system and serves the District of Parry Sound.
The Ministry of the Attorney General is the lead ministry responsible for the establishment of Youth Justice Committees across the Province. Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca is the supporting organization for the Parry Sound Youth Justice Committee which is directed by a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from the Crown Attorney’s Office, Ontario Provincial Police, Anishinabek Police Service, and Youth Probation.Intensive Support and Supervision Program (Nipissing).
