The Royal is one of Canada's foremost mental health care and academic health science centres. Our mandate is simple: to get more people living with mental illness into recovery faster. The Royal combines the delivery of specialized mental health care, advocacy, research and education to transform the lives of people with complex and treatment resistant mental illness.
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Services Offered
Anxiety Disorders Program The Royal's Anxiety Disorders Program provides a wide range of specialty services, including regular and extended consultations, medication treatment and psychological therapies using proven and efficient interventions. The program is suitable for adults aged 18-65 with Axis I anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia and specific phobia. The program specializes in treating patients who do not respond to conventional treatment.
Community Mental Health The assessment, consultation and treatment services provided by The Royal's Community Mental Health Program assist people with serious and persistent mental illness to live in the community and work towards their recovery. Eight teams provide a range of levels of specialized support, depending on the needs of the individual. We also offer education to care providers to help increase their understanding and ability to cope with mental illness.
Depression and Bipolar The Royal's Mood Disorders Program serves people over the age of 18 with known or suspected depression, bipolar disorder, or dysthymia. The program specializes in treating severe cases of mood disorders which require a higher level of service than may be offered by an acute care hospital. These cases are often treatment-resistant and recurrent or chronic.
Operational Stress Injuries and PTSD Royal Ottawa Operational Stress Injury Clinic is a specialized outpatient program serving Canadian Forces Veterans and current members, and eligible members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Family members of clients may also be eligible to access these services.
A team of clinicians with expertise in the assessment and treatment of PTSD, anxiety, depression and addictions work in tandem to help clients improve their quality of life through a better understanding of the impact of severe stress and by enhancing coping skills. Consistent with the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre's interdisciplinary model of treatment, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and social workers provide comprehensive services for OSIs, including evidence-based comprehensive assessment, psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.
Schizophrenia The Royal, in cooperation with its research program at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, treats schizophrenia in people 16 years and older through its specialized Schizophrenia Program. Due to its complexity, schizophrenia is treated from a variety of perspectives. The Schizophrenia Program utilizes a team approach. The team may include psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, orderlies, recreation therapists, clinical dietitians, addictions counselors, a Chaplain, and a pharmacist. Each member has a wide range of experience dealing specifically with schizophrenia and related disorders.
Seniors The Geriatric Psychiatry Program of The Royal provides a range of services to meet the mental health needs of adults 65 years of age and over.
Working together with families, primary care physicians, community psychiatrists and community agencies, our staff helps individuals improve the quality of their life and achieve their optimal level of functioning.
Substance use and Concurrent disorders The Royal's Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders Program (SUCD) provides services to patients who have complex substance use, mental health and physical health issues. It offers a range of inpatient and outpatient services for concurrent disorders, including medical detoxification for alcohol, benzodiazepines and opioids only.
Women's Mental Health The Women's Mental Health Program promotes a women-centred approach to mental health care by ensuring client care considers women's unique biological, psychological and social needs
Fees and Payment
This is a registered charity.
Services Offered To: Adults Teens Children
Special Groups: Bilingual
Payment: Sliding Scale
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Qualifying for assistance from Maine's program usually depends on the severity of your condition and financial circumstance. Read our full guide to Maine's program.
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.