1Call1Click.ca: Finding the right mental health care for kids and youth just got a lot easier
2021-06-14
Today,
the Kids Come First Health Team officially launched 1Call1Click.ca, a unique service in
Canada that makes it easier for children, youth and families of Eastern Ontario
to find the care they need for mental health and addiction.
The
1Call1Click.ca initiative coordinates more than 20 organizations offering
mental health and addiction care for children, youth and their families —
addressing a need that families and Kids Come First Health Team partners across
the region have often highlighted.
“The
last thing that parents and youth need to hear when they are already stressed
and seeking help is, ‘Sorry you live in the wrong city,’ or ‘Sorry, you are too
old or too young for our services,’” said Deena Shorkey, Director of Community Child and Youth Mental Health Services at Cornwall
Hospital.
“1Call1Click.ca will make it as easy as possible for those seeking help to find
the right service, right away; to hear, ‘Yes, you have called the right place.
We’re here to help.’”
Christie
Kopczyk, a 1Call1Click.ca parent advisor, has experienced this uncertainty
herself.
“When
you’re looking, you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for or what’s out
there. Getting connected right away is so important. And knowing that you have
access to everything that’s available is hugely important for starting down the
right road,” said Kopczyk, who is also a program manager at Parents’ Lifeline
of Eastern Ontario, or PLEO.
Now,
all that anyone has to do is call 613-260-2360 or 1-877-377-7775 (toll
free for Eastern Ontario), or fill out an online form — even primary care
providers looking for the right care for their patients.
“When
families are not able to quickly connect with the care they need, children and
youth repeatedly visit emergency departments or try to access services that
might not be the right fit. This can lead to poor outcomes,” said Joanne Lowe,
Executive Director of Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa and Vice-president of
Mental Health and Addiction at CHEO, which are both partners of the Kids Come
First Health Team. “Now, 1Call1Click.ca is here to help people on their first
call — to take away that burden and uncertainty of searching.”
Start-up funding for 1Call1Click.ca came from
Ontario Health and the City of Ottawa. The service is also made possible by
funding partner RBC.
When
someone connects with 1Call1Click.ca, the trained staff will:
- Discuss what is happening and the person’s needs,
- Answer questions and help to find the right information,
- Provide a list of services that might be a good fit for
their specific mental health and addiction needs and help select the best ones
for them,
- Help them connect with the mental health and addiction
service(s) that are best for them and make appointments when possible.
“1Call1Click.ca will give kids and youth the safety and privacy to connect,
ask questions and find information without having to wait until they are
feeling extremely unwell,” said Steph Dinsdale, a youth advisor involved in
developing and shaping 1Call1Click.ca. “It is also a chance to find a community
of support and know that there are options for them other than the emergency
room and expensive therapy sessions. I am so happy it’s here.”
In
addition, 1Call1Click.ca will have a more involved role for complex situations.
“Most agencies can’t fill all the needs of
complex cases and 1Call1Click.ca will help in a couple of ways. First, because
all partners are now sharing electronic health records, children and youth
requiring service from more than one provider don’t have to keep repeating
their story, over and over again,” said Tania Renaud Fournier, Director of
Youth and Family Mental Health Services at Le Cap. “And coming soon,
1Call1Click.ca will add care coordinators to the team, who are there to catch
the ball and carry it with families in need of more complex mental health and
addiction care.”
When you put all these pieces together, the
1Call1Click.ca initiative is unique in Canada.
“When someone close to you is struggling,
especially a child, a young person, it’s heartbreaking. That’s why when we
heard about 1Call1Click.ca, we knew we had to help,” said Marjolaine Hudon,
Regional President, Ontario North and East, RBC. “RBC Foundation’s $1.5 million donation
for the Kids Come First Health Team will help fill a critical gap. It will
simplify access to youth mental health care and
ensure youth and their families get connected with the support they need.”
This
donation is part of RBC Future Launch – RBC’s $500 million commitment over ten
years, to help youth better prepare for the future.
To
support the 1Call1Click.ca initiative, the community can participate in the
Virtual RBC Race for the Kids or by donating at cheofoundation.com.
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