Closing the Referral Loop: Piloting a Clinical Pathway Between Primary Care and Community-Based Mental Health and Addictions Services
Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
23 January 2024
Abstract
Findings from a novel Primary Care (PC) Mental Health (MH) pathway for children and young people in Northern Ontario, Canada are presented. Overall, 166 MH referrals from PC to a community-based child and youth MH and addictions agency (CB-CYMHA) occurred, with outstanding PC uptake (100%) and faxing referral outcomes (99%) from the CB-CYMHA to the PC provider. Half of referral outcomes (50%) were returned within 2 weeks and 83% of contacted clients reported satisfaction with services received. This successful pilot serves as an example for care pathway improvements and mobilizes knowledge for other pathway sites across Ontario.
Résumé
Cette étude présente les résultats d’un parcours de soins de santé primaires (SSP) pour la santé mentale (SM) des enfants et des adolescents en Ontario. 166 aiguillages de SSP vers un organisme communautaire de SM et de lutte contre les dépendances ont été pris en compte, avec une forte participation de SSP (100 %). La moitié des résultats recensés ont été renvoyés aux SSP dans les 2 semaines et 83 % des clients contactés ont déclaré être satisfaits des services reçus. Ce projet pilote sert d’exemple pour l’amélioration des parcours de soins et mobilise les connaissances pour d’autres sites de parcours en Ontario.
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Published In
Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 42 • Number 4 • December 2023
Pages: 21 - 47
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Version of record online: 23 January 2024
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Christine Polihronis, Laura Ziebell, Paula Cloutier, Ashley Radomski, Purnima Sundar, Sandie Leith, Jodie Stewart, and Mario Cappelli. 2023. Closing the Referral Loop: Piloting a Clinical Pathway Between Primary Care and Community-Based Mental Health and Addictions Services. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health.
42(4): 21-47. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2023-027
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