Kinark is a leading provider of services and supports for children and youth with complex needs and their families. Services are provided in the areas of Child and Youth Mental Health, Autism and Forensic Mental Health/Youth Justice.
Services Offered
Community-Based Child and Youth Mental Health Within all of our Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) locations, a full range of assessment and treatment services, including individual, family and group counselling, is provided by an inter-disciplinary team of clinicians to children and youth with complex needs and their families.
* Targeted Prevention - Targeted prevention services focus on changing views and behaviours, building skills and competencies and/or creating awareness and resiliency through the provision of information, education and programming to defined at-risk populations. Targeted prevention programs may occur in a variety of settings, including education, health and community settings, and may involve health practitioners and educators as partners.
* Brief Services - Like counselling and therapy services, brief services focus on reducing the severity of and/or remedying the emotional, social, behavioural and self-regulation problems of children and youth, but these services differ with respect to the duration of the service. Brief services provide "quick access" (usually up to six sessions of therapy) to address the immediate or presenting needs of a child or youth.
* Counselling and Therapy Services - Counselling and therapy services include a series of planned, inter-related interventions focused on reducing the severity of and/or remedying the emotional, social, behavioural and self-regulation problems of children and youth. Services are provided within the context of the family, culture and community and can be delivered in a range of settings.
* Family/Caregiver Capacity Building and Support - Families (including parents, caregivers, guardians, siblings and other family members) have a critical role to play in promoting and supporting the mental health of their family members. Family capacity building and support services may include access to peer support to promote resilience and positive child, youth, and family functioning.
* Specialized Consultation and Assessment Services - Specialized consultation and assessments are designed to provide advice in the assessment, diagnosis, prognosis and/or treatment of a child or youth with identified mental health needs. Children and youth may only receive a specialized consultation or assessment as a component of a service plan.
* Crisis Support Services - Crisis support services are immediate, time-limited services, delivered in response to an imminent mental health crisis or an urgent situation as assessed by a mental health professional that places the child/youth or others at serious risk of harm.
* Intensive Treatment Services - Intensive treatment services are targeted to children and youth who have been diagnosed/identified with mental health problems that impair their functioning in some or many areas. Many of these children/youth will require intensive intervention either for a defined period of time or periodically throughout their lifespan, to maintain functioning in their home, school and/or community.
Autism Services In the new program, all children and youth diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by a qualified professional are eligible to receive flexible and individualized services based on their personal needs, strengths and goals until the age of 18. The goal of the new OAP is to provide families with services that are well coordinated, family-centred and responsive to the unique needs and potential of each individual child and/or youth.
Fees and Payment
Services are free.
This is a registered charity.
Services Offered To: Teens Children
Special Groups: Bilingual
Payment: Sliding Scale Pro-bono
Online Counseling: During COVID-19
Could You 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.
