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| About Our Clinical Consultation Program | |||
A clinical component has been part of Healthy Minds/Healthy Children (HM/HC) since its inception in 2003. Starting with outreach consultation to primary care physicians in Regions 1, 2, 3 (rural) and 4, the service expanded in 2006 to include primary care providers in mental health settings, often outside the main urban areas. The clinical focus of HM/HC is capacity building, which means that we aim to help primary care providers increase their knowledge and skills in identifying, assessing and treating children and youth with mental health issues. This goal is accomplished in part through the provision of clinical consultations and information tools. Our hope is to strengthen clinical confidence through collaborative consultation, increase specific mental health knowledge levels, and link primary care providers with appropriate local services and more specialized tertiary care when necessary. Through our consultation work, we also learn about the unique situations faced by primary care providers in different regions, and these inform us in our planning and work with practitioners in other regions and communities who are doing similar work. All of our clinical services are offered confidentially. |
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| Phone Consultations | |||
Phone consultations are available for primary care professionals seeking input on any aspect of a case. Examples include confirmation of current treatment plan, unusual cases with an unclear diagnosis, more complicated cases where multiple diagnoses make treatment planning more challenging, or aspects of various interventions (such as family therapy) where the primary therapist is working to expand their knowledge or skill base. In all cases, the requesting practitioner remains the primary care provider, and only when it appears that the case requires more intensive intervention, would a referral be contemplated for tertiary care. |
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| Telehealth Consultations | |||
| This service offers consultation to the requesting primary care provider about a specific case with a virtual team of mental health clinicians. Often, it is possible to review and discuss a case in some detail. This technology allows experts and practitioners in a variety of areas from all four of the Southern Regions to come together and provide ideas related to the assessment, planning and management of cases. |  | ||
“The service gave me additional ideas I could offer in treatment and also confirmed the strategies/treatment goals that I was currently using….all the members of the team had unique input which was valuable to me in my practice.” Feedback from recipient of a telehealth consultation |
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| Outreach | |||
| Primary care physicians in Southern Alberta interested in participating in a shared care model can contact the program to discuss arranging regular in-office consultations with program clinicians and/or local mental health clinicians (where available). Please note that our service model is focussed on capacity building. Thus, primary care providers should expect to retain ongoing clinical responsibility for patient care, while consulting with the mental health clinician at regular intervals on aspects of case identification and treatment. | |||
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| Presentations | |||
| Upon request, group presentations on particular topics relating to children’ mental health can be organized and scheduled either via telehealth or by outreach (our consultant will travel to the requesting site). | |||
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Our clinical team is able to provide support of learning and professional development of involved professionals on a case by case basis or as requested. |
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Home Updated July 14, 2010 |
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