What We Do

Healthy Minds/Healthy Children is an outreach service, a Child & Adolescent Mental Health Program.  It provides supports to primary health providers in the health regions and Treaty 7 First Nations of Southern Alberta.  It is funded by Provincial Mental Health Innovation Fund, and by a telehealth grant from the Provincial Telehealth Committee of Alberta Health and Wellness.

Primary health care physicians are the largest providers of child & adolescent mental health services.  This program provides them with the support they need to skillfully identify mental health problems presenting in primary care practice, intervene effectively, or recognize when a referral to specialized children & adolescent mental health services (e.g. tertiary care) is indicated.

The project works to build and strengthen local linkages between mental health services and primary health care providers.   It is also focused on increasing the capacity of primary care providers through educational activities and resource development.

Healthy Minds/Healthy Children provides support to primary health care providers to better serve the mental health needs of children, youth, and families in Southern Alberta. This support consists of: 

Clinical supports:

• consultation to primary care physicians and allied mental health clinicians regarding identification and early intervention with children and youth presenting with mental health concerns.

• telehealth based consultation involving virtual, inter-regional teams of clinicians and physicians regarding identification, intervention or referral of mental health cases.

Resource development:

•  information prescriptions in areas of mental health commonly presenting in primary care.

• physician's desk reference containing decision support material in areas of mental health commonly presenting in primary care.

• web based Continuing Education courses in children’s mental health in partnership with the Southern Alberta Child & Youth Health Network, the Alberta Mental Health Board, the Capital Health Region, and the University of Calgary.

The mental health information prescriptions developed by Healthy Minds/Healthy Children can be found on: http://www.sacyhn.ca/pages/publications.html

Information on the Continuing Education program can be found on:  http://www.sacyhn.ca/pages/primary_care.html

The desk reference can be accessed by contacting the project office.

Requests for clinical consultation or telehealth based services can be made by contacting the ACH office.

Cellular: (403) 540-4281
 

Jessica Ayala, Ph.D.(C), MSW, RSW

Ellen Perrault, PhD (C), MSW, RSW

(403)220-4310 Fax: (403) 210-9684

The Clinical Office

Richmond Road Diagnostic & Treatment Centre

Room 4609A, 1820 Richmond Road SW

Calgary, AB T2T 5C7

Phone: 943-7446/ 7646/ 7644/ 7446

Fax: 229-2184

 

The Continuing Professional Development Office

Room #3212 Faculty of Social Work

University of Calgary

2500 University Dr. NW

Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

Phone 220-4310 Fax 2210-9684