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Initiatives and Programs for
Youth at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) provides treatment services
and has implemented a number of clinical, educational, research, prevention and program
development initiatives for adolescents with addiction and/or mental health issues.
The following is a list of some of those initiatives or programs available at the
Centre.
 All media enquiries should be made to (416) 595-6015 or public_affairs@camh.net.
Alcohol and Drug Prevention
Programs for Youth: What Works? is a position paper that outlines research-based
strategies for effective youth substance abuse prevention programs.
Contacts: Andrea Stevens Lavigne, 416-535-8501, ext. 6479, Andrea_Stevenslavign@camh.net;
Angela Paglia, 416-535-8501, ext. 6711, Angela_Paglia@camh.net.
Youth Scoop
is a free series of tip sheets for child and youth serving professionals that summarize
the latest research related to addiction and mental health issues. Topics include:
Ontario Student Drug Use Survey findings; characteristics of effective prevention
programs; violence prevention in youth and concurrent disorders.
Contact: Nina Acco Weston, 416-535-8501, ext. 4530, Nina_Accoweston@camh.net.
Educating Students about Drug
Use and Mental Health: Ready-to-Use Lesson Plans for Drug Education in Your Classroom
is a curriculum resource for teachers of Grades 1 to 11 that contains a comprehensive
selection of materials and activities, including assessment strategies and tools.
Developed by CAMH in collaboration with school boards and public health units as
well as other interested organizations, it is available online at http://sano.camh.net/curriculum.htm.
Materials for promoting this resource are also available.
Contact Sharon LaBonté-Jaques, 519-583-1089, slabonte@nornet.on.ca.
Talking
About Mental Illness is an anti-stigma program for secondary school students,
developed in collaboration with CMHA Ontario Division and Mood Disorders Association.
Piloted successfully in 3 communities, this community implementation guide and teacher's
resource is now being disseminated across Ontario.
Contact: Elizabeth Hendren-Roberges, 705-472-3850, ehedren@vianet.on.ca.
Opening Doors is a 17 session school-based
program, aimed at Grade 9 students at risk and their parents. It has been implemented
in over 100 schools across the province. The program is aimed at preventing problems
associated with school truancy, alcohol and/or other drug use, violence and other
anti-social behaviours among youth, by increasing students' personal and social skills.
The evaluation of the program has demonstrated short-term effects on substance use
variables, as well as other social behaviours and mental health outcomes, such as
bonding to school, theft and violent behaviour. A new computerized screen tool is
now in development.
Contact: Jane Fjeld, 705-569-6024, ext. 8208
jane_fjeld@camh.net.
Virtual Party is an interactive web-based resource,
developed by youth, for youth. The web site (www.virtual-party.org)
is an educational tool aimed at offering youth information in an interactive story,
promoting healthy choices and reducing risky behaviour related to alcohol use. It
is targeted to youth 13-19 years of age. Story lines are related to alcohol and other
drug use as well as concurrent disorders. Youth-friendly promotional post cards are
available and have been distributed widely.
Contact: Jennifer Barr, 705-745-2511, jbarr@peterboro.net.
Let
'Em Go is a handbook for professionals who work with youth. Based
on the experiences of working with street involved youth, this handbook provides
specific guidelines on how to implement participatory methods with youth to develop
a harm reduction product. . The harm reduction video Safer With CYPHR developed by
the street youth is also available from CAMH Sales and Marketing.
Contact: Elsbeth Tupker, 416-535-8501 ext 4547, Elsbeth_Tupker@camh.net.
Harm Reduction for Rural Youth
is a sequel to Let 'em Go, outlining the interactive process of working
with rural youth to develop a harm reduction magazine for secondary school students.
The magazine "Wild Times, Deadly Times" was developed as part of a joint
project with a secondary school's co-op program students, staff, as well as local
addictions partners. The magazine includes messages about safe use of alcohol and
other drugs as well as sources of help and information. Freedom to Act is
a handbook outlining the process and is now available from CAMH Sales and Marketing.
Contact Sharon LaBonté -Jaques, 519-583-1089, slabonte@nornet.on.ca.
First
Contact is a brief treatment for youth using alcohol and other drugs. It
was developed at CAMH in conjunction with youth and service providers and evaluated
at six months post treatment. Both drug use and negative consequences of drug use
were reduced. The manual includes clinical materials such as session goals, therapist
checklists and client handouts, to be used in four individual or group sessions that
can serve as a stand-alone treatment or a first step to more extensive treatment.
Contact: Elsbeth Tupker, 416-535-8501 ext. 4547, Elsbeth_Tupker@camh.net
or Gloria Chaim, 416-535-8501, ext. 6756, Gloria_Chaim@camh.net.
Best Practices Compendium is a collaborative
effort between CAMH, the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse and the Canadian Association
for School Health Association. Funded by Health Canada, this compendium features
effective substance abuse prevention programs for youth. The compendium is available
on the Health Canada web site at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/cds-sca/cds/pdf/substanceyoungpeople.pdf.
Contact: Andrea Stevens Lavigne, 416-535-8501, ext. 6479, Andrea_Stevenslavign@camh.net.
Teacher Training Resource Package
is currently being developed to assist CAMH staff or other interested parties in
delivering in-service workshops for teachers and other prevention and health promotion
professionals.
Contact Andrea Stevens Lavigne, 416-535-8501, ext. 6479, Andrea_Stevenslavign@camh.net.
Research and Development
Youth, Drugs and Mental Health
materials are being enhanced to include addressing concurrent disorders issues
among youth. Through collaboration with community-based mental health services, the
First Contact manual will be adapted for use in these settings. The Youth
and Drugs Education Package for Professionals will be updated and expanded over
the next two years, resulting in a new education package for working with youth who
present concurrent mental health and substance use concerns.
Contact: Elsbeth Tupker, 416-535-8501 ext. 4547, Elsbeth_Tupker@camh.net
or Ari Blatt, 416-535-8501, ext. 4548, Ari_Blatt@camh.net.
Strengthening Families is a skills
development program. It is designed to reduce risk factors and enhance protective
factors of children ages 8-12 whose parent(s) has a history of alcohol and other
drug use problems. This 13-session program has three components: for children, for
parents and for parents and children together. It has been piloted in three communities
in Ontario and is being further evaluated in Canada and the United States this year.
Contacts: Pat Allan, 519-883-2189, pallan@golden.net;
Dr. David DeWit, 519-858-5010, ext. 22004, ddewit@julian.uwo.ca.
TAPP-C
(The Arson Prevention Program for Children) is a program designed to prevent
juvenile fire setting. Using feedback from agencies across the province, a brief
intervention manual is being developed based on the empirically based TAPP-C program,
from the Child Psychiatry program of the Centre. Training will be provided to mental
health professionals who provide services to children and youth. Dissemination of
the manual will be evaluated over the next three years.
Contacts: Dr. Sherri MacKay, 416-535-8501 ext.4653, sherri_mackay@camh.net;
Joanna Henderson, 416-535-8501 ext. 4959 Joanna_Henderson@camh.net.
The School Culture research and development
project is designed to increase our understanding of how the school environment influences
substance use, deviant behaviour and mental health outcomes. A unique assessment
tool has been developed and implemented at three separate time periods, in both French
and English speaking communities. The next phase will be the development of an intervention
aimed at improving school climate and culture, leading to the reduction of substance
use and other mental health related problems among secondary school students.
Contacts: Kim Karioja, 807-626-8111; kkarioja@norlink.net;
Dr. DeWit, 519-858-5010, ext. 22004, ddewit@julian.uwo.ca.
The qualitative research project, VALIDITY
(Vibrant Action Looking Into Depression in Today's Young Women), uses a participatory
action research approach to explore factors that may contribute to depression in
adolescent girls. A series of focus groups across the province and a Spring 2001
conference have resulted in recommendations for the development of programs aimed
at preventing depression in young women.
Contact: Christine Lebert, 519-251-0500, ext. 8005, clebert@mnsi.net.
Clinical Services
Youth
Service, Addiction Programs -- offers a continuum of treatment services
to young people under age 25 who have concerns related to substance use and/or concurrent
disorders. The services are offered on a group or individual basis, as appropriate,
and include outreach, assessment, brief treatment interventions, a long-term group
for youth with concurrent disorders and a school/day treatment program and continuing
care. In addition, a number of family services are available including parent support
and psychoeducation and family therapy.
Contact: Joanne Shenfeld 416-535-8501 x6765, joanne_shenfeld@camh.net;
Dr. Bruce Ballon 416-535-8501 ext. 4466, Bruce_Ballon@camh.net.
The
Problem Gambling Service has a youth counsellor, specializing in work with
young people who have gambling problems or are affected by other people's gambling.
One prevention project for youth has been completed, and another is at an early stage:
a curriculum designed for Ontario high schools.
Contact: Nina Littman-Sharp, 416-535-8501, ext. 7422, Nina_Littman@camh.net.
Child
Psychiatry Programme has a variety of services for children and youth including
an adolescent clinic for youth involved with the legal system, and consultation to
practitioners and families who have youth with anger and behavioural problems. The
programme also has an arson prevention team, a child gender identity clinic, mood
and anxiety programs, parenting programs, psychotic disorders clinic and psychiatric
consultation.
Contact: 416-535-8501, ext. 4686, Pam_Bock@camh.net.
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