The Canadian Mental Health Association, York Region Branch was founded in 1984 and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with mental illnesses.
We help people learn how to maintain their mental health, look for and identify the signs of mental illness, and get help and support when they need it. Through several locations across York Region and South Simcoe, we provide a wide range of services to assist individuals with their recovery. Our multi-disciplinary team of professionals are dedicated to assisting people achieve their optimum level of mental health.
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Services Offered
Adult Services * Assertive Community Treatment Teams - Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is designed to provide comprehensive, community-based psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation and support to people with serious and persistent mental illness.
* Case Management > Case Management, Adults - Intensive case management offers a supportive framework for individuals with serious mental illness to achieve greater independence and an improved quality of life. Our highly skilled case managers work in partnership with individuals to identify areas of strength and determine areas of need.
> Case Management, Seniors - The Geriatric Mental Health Program is dedicated to offering intensive case management for seniors aged 65 and older with a serious mental illness. The team works towards building partnerships and developing support networks for clients and their care givers. This program will help to increase the supports seniors are already receiving from their current support systems and will assist them to stay in their homes longer and help to increase their quality of life and well-being.
* Clinical Therapy - The Clinical Therapy Program helps people with serious mental illness to be more successful in day-to-day living. Clients explore the relationship between thoughts, feelings and actions and with the support of our Clinical Therapists, develop and practice coping skills that help them gain control over unhelpful thinking patterns and avoidance behaviours.
We offer a variety of Clinical Therapy Groups which may include: > mindfulness > CBT > Art Therapy > Emotion regulation > Forgiveness & Acceptance
* Early Psychosis Intervention - Help Overcome Psychosis Early (H.O.P.E.) is our early psychosis intervention program and is offered throughout York Region and South Simcoe. The H.O.P.E. team offers specialized services for individuals aged 14 - 35 who are experiencing psychosis for the first time.
* Rapid Access Mood and Anxiety Psychiatry - The Rapid Access Psychiatry Program is an evidence-based model of service for adults with mild to moderate mood and/or anxiety disorder.
* Support for Depression - Support for Depression offers individuals who are experiencing or have experienced depression an opportunity to share experiences in a safe, non-judgmental atmosphere, so that they can support each other and develop coping skills.
There is no set format; the group takes the conversation where it needs to go. In fact, at their first session, participants may just sit and listen if they so choose. The group facilitators are not mental health professionals; they are trained volunteers who have experienced depression themselves and are at a point in their recovery where they want to help others learn to cope with the illness.
Youth Services * Early Psychosis Intervention
* MOBYSS - Youth Walk in Clinic - MOBYSS (Mobile York South Simcoe) is Ontario's first mobile health clinic for youth who are 12 to 25 years of age. MOBYSS is a ground-breaking clinic that travels to areas across York Region and South Simcoe where youth have difficulty accessing services because of travel, stigma, and other barriers. MOBYSS is staffed with a nurse practitioner, youth counsellor and peer support specialist.
Fees and Payment
Services are free and confidential.
This is a registered charity.
Services Offered To: Adults Couples Teens Children
Special Groups: Bilingual LGBTQ
Payment: Sliding Scale Pro-bono
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Were You Able to Make an Appointment?
One quick last question. Who was seeking counseling today?
Do you know the reason they are not accepting clients?
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.