GOOD SHEPHERD YOUTH
SERVICES COMMUNITY
MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAM
Skills for Life
Christine Evans & Chloe Frisina
Mental Health Clinicians,
Good Shepherd Youth Services
Good Shepherd Faith in People
OBJECTIVES



Explain the Community Mental Health Program
Discuss current literature addressing street
involvement, mental health & global functioning
Introduce the Skills for Life program
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAM
BACKGROUND

MCYS funded

Started 7 years ago

Has grown with the growth of SYPC

1.6 Master’s prepared clinicians

Based at Notre Dame House
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAM
PURPOSE
 A community based mental health outreach
program for street involved and homeless youth
ages 16-21
 Aims to improve access to mental health services
 Aims to increase percentage of youth in active
treatment
 Aims to improve global functioning of youth
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAM
WHAT WE OFFER


Triage and Assessment
Comprehensive Mental Health Assessment
(including a Child and Adolescent Needs and
Strengths Assessment)

Individual Therapy

Staff Education/Coaching

Skills for Life

Collaboration with the Shelter Health Network
and Consulting Adolescent Psychiatrists
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAM
EVALUATION – STREET INVOLVEMENT

Street involved youth includes runaways (youth
who have spent more than one night away from
home without parental permission), throwaways
(youth who have been forced to leave home by
their parents), street youth (youth who live in
high risk nontraditional locations such as under
bridges and in abandoned buildings) and system
youth (youth who have previously been involved
in government systems such as foster care or
juvenile justice).
Edidin et al. 2011
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAM
EVALUATION – MENTAL HEALTH

Mental illness refers to clinically significant
patterns of behavioral or emotional functioning
that are associated with some level of distress,
suffering (pain, death) or impairment in one or
more areas of functioning (such as school, work or
social and family interactions).
Canadian Psychological Association, 2012
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAM
EVALUATION – GLOBAL FUNCTIONING

Global functioning refers to the adequacy of a
youth’s sleep and eating patterns, their physical
health and participation in activities of daily
living, limited criminal involvement, substance
use, high-risk behaviors and a reduction in
mental health problems.
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAM
FRAMEWORK

Mindfulness

The 3 C’s
Calm
 Consistent
 Clutter Free

COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAM
FRAMEWORK

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Skills For Life
1.
Teen Routine
2.
PLEASE
3.
Sleep Hygiene
4.
Distractions
5.
Self Soothing
6.
TIP
7.
3 Things
8.
Radical Acceptance
9.
Ride the Way
10.
Behavior Chain Analysis
11.
Pros & Cons
12.
DEARMAN
13.
Building Positivity
THANK YOU!
CONTACT INFORMATION
CHRISTINEE@GOODSHEPHERDCENTRES.
CA
CHLOEF@GOODSHEPHERDCENTRES.CA
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Good Shepherd Youth Services Mental Health