Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I need a doctor’s referral?

 

No. We accept referrals from parents, youth, caregivers, and third parties such as physicians and school personnel.

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2. Is there a cost for services?  

 

No. We are funded by the Ministry of Health and our services are FREE.

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3. Is there a wait list for services?

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Wait times vary depending on demand and the particular service.  As a commitment to our community, we regularly update current wait times on the home page of this website.

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4. My doctor said my child needs Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, can we get that from CMHS? 

 

Yes. Many of our clinicians have experience providing cognitive behavioral informed therapy, however, we would need to assess whether that is the appropriate method of therapy for your child once we meet with you. 

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5. I don’t think my teen will come into the office; is there any help I can get?

 

Absolutely, we are here to provide assistance to parents and caregivers regardless of whether the youth attends.  We work from a family-systems perspective and know that even changes that a parent makes can have a significant impact in the family system overall.   

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6. Do you offer groups?

 

Yes. We provide groups for children and youth.  Groups are determined by age and specific needs.

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7. Do you prescribe medication?  

 

No. Medication can only be prescribed/changed by a Physician, Pediatrician or Psychiatrist.

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8. Do you do psychological assessments and if so, what do they cost? 

 

We do not provide stand alone psychological assessments.  After working with a child/youth and family the clinician in consultation with the family may decide that a psychological assessment might be beneficial to assist in treatment planning.  Funding for the psychological assessment is determined on a case by case basis.

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9. Can you help our child with autism? They might be on the spectrum; do you diagnose autism? 

 

Diagnosing a child with a particular disorder is the role of a Physician; Pediatrician; Psychologist or Psychiatrist.  There are other community agencies that focus primarily on helping children who are managing autism and their families.  Our agency focuses on helping children/youth and families when the child managing autism is also experiencing a mental health challenge such as anxiety, depression, etc.     

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10. Do you help after the loss of a loved one? 

 

Yes. We provide grief work for children and youth who have experienced a loss.

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11. My child is: 

• being bullied;

• anxious;

• angry;

• self-harming;

• struggling with their identity;

• acting out;

• depressed;

• up all night/sleeping all day;

• kicked out of school;

• hitting other family members;

• stealing

Can you help?

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Yes. CMHS assists youth and families managing all of the concerns listed above.