Canadian Mental Health Association Durham is an integrated community mental health and primary care hub that has been providing mental health services to Durham Region for almost 60 years.
During that time, it has evolved to provide a broad range of services to individuals and their families experiencing mental health challenges, from information and education to case management, psychosocial rehabilitation, housing and primary healthcare. These services are provided through inter-professional teams focused on providing clinically based services that, in addition to dealing with client mental health issues, address social determinants of health using the recovery model.
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Services Offered
Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) The Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) is a client-centred, recovery-oriented mental health service designed specifically for people aged 18 to 65 with serious and persistent mental illnesses.
ACT services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provided on a long-term basis with flexible degrees of intensity. Seventy-five per cent of services are provided outside of CMHA Durham's office base, and take place in homes and local communities.
This assertive multidisciplinary approach emphasizes engagement, outreach, relationship-building and collaboration with support networks. ACT delivers comprehensive services to individuals in the context of their everyday lives, providing treatment, rehabilitation, support and crisis activities in creative and effective ways.
Community Treatment Orders CMHA Durham's Community Treatment Order Program works in partnership with Lakeridge Health Network and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences.ontario-shores-logo
A Community Treatment Order (CTO) is an order to provide a person who suffers from a serious mental disorder with a comprehensive plan of community-based treatment or care with supervision that is less restrictive than being detained in a psychiatric facility.
The program assists individuals follow-up in the community as an alternative to hospitalization. The CTO plan identifies what the person and their supports (e.g. family, friends and health care professionals) must do to help them stay out of the hospital. This includes intense case management support provided by nurse case managers.
Fees and Payment
All 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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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.