The context:



Increase in joint planning between Alberta
Health, Alberta Health Services and Human
Services
Focus on children/youth involved with Child
Intervention Services
Commitment to increased funding to better
support these children, youth, their
caregivers and our staff
2014: Appointment of a Chief Medical Officer
for Mental Health and Addictions to
lead the work
-
Cross Ministry Partnership
Creating an Action Plan
Priorities for Alberta
Identified Need for children in care
Continuation of 2013 funding
Announcement of 2014 funding

Mental ealth Learning Series

Mental Health First Aid

Support to Parent Link Centres

Initial after hours support – launched in
Edmonton Crisis Unit



Best Practice Sites: Calgary, Edmonton and
Red Deer
Mental Health Consultation regarding
psychotropic medications and psycho-social
interventions: 2 positions serve the province
Assessment and Brief Intervention: Calgary
project “Brief Intervention and Caregiver
Support” BICS for short.




Calgary’s site is at Hull Homes
Reshaping of the Pre-Adolescent Treatment
Program
With additional funding a day treatment /
wrap-a-round service has been added to the
program
Purpose is to support more children in their
family based placement by the provision of
treatment support after school, evenings.




Family based care is the environment of choice
Provides the type of support a caregiver needs to
develop effective interventions in the home environment
with the support of highly skilled professionals from the
Hull program
Caregiver is an integral part of the treatment team and
is actively involved in planning and implementation of
strategies that will work in a home environment
Decreases the impacts of residential care on young
children – trauma reduction

Many children involved with child intervention
are prescribed psychotropic medications
Ritalin and other ADHD related medications
Anti-psychotic medications
Mood stabilizers

Implementation of treatment plans/strategies
recommended by mental health professionals
may be a part of a child’s plan
Implementing in a home based environment may
require additional support, revision, clarity and skill
building on the part of adults involved in supporting
the child/youth

Sheena Stevens, BN. RN. CPMHN(c)
 Registered Nurse
 Certified psychiatric mental health nurse (CPMHN) from
the Canadian Nurses Association.
 Experience in medical, oncology/ palliative care and
adolescent child acute mental health.
 Past 3 years at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in-patient
mental health unit and at the Foothills Medical Center at
the Young Adult Program (YAP) unit 26 in Calgary.
Alberta.

Working in partnership with Child and Family
Services and Dr. Roxanne Goldade (P-KIC
physician lead)





She will be consulting with our staff
You may see her at a P-KIC appointment
She may follow up with you regarding
medication trials or new medication
responses, medication adjustments that
pediatricians have prescribed
You can access Sheena through the child’s
caseworker or your foster care/kinship care
support worker
Contact information will be forward to Agency
foster care and Kinnections this week
A collaboration between Calgary Family
Service, Catholic Family Service and Calgary
Counselling Centre
 Bringing the 3 agencies together allows for a
wide range of skill and areas of expertise
among the team
 One clinician from each agency has been
recruited and are currently being trained
 Soft launch – a few cases over the summer
 September targeted for full implementation


A new approach to caregiver support

Home based early intervention

Trauma/toxic stress reduction

Creating a strong support network for each child
and their caregiver

Community focussed

Implementation of individualized profiles and plans

Approximately 3 working days after a child is placed
a referral will be made to BICS

The Clinician assigned will contact the caseworker,
foster care/kinship support worker and the caregiver


You and the clinician will do an initial screen over the
phone to see how the child is doing and using the
Green, Yellow, Red approach a plan for an in person
first meeting will be made
You will likely get a follow up phone call just to check
in and see if there are any emerging issues that might
warrant an earlier connection with you

A screening tool focussing on trauma will be
completed to obtain a baseline of how the
child is coping
◦ ASQ/ASQ SE
 age 0-5
◦ Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children
• ages 3-12
◦ Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children
 Ages 8-17
◦ Other screening tools as appropriate


A profile of the child/youth will be created with you and
input from others in the child’s support network – family,
school, …
If needed a positive behavioral approach plan will be
developed or a developmental plan or whatever will best
meet the child’s needs and assist with caregiving.

The plan should be transferable to other environments –
respite, school, family home

Length of involvement will be flexible and individualized

You can re-enter the program for further support if the
need arises




New and needed opportunities for Children’s
Mental Health
Priority on children involved with Child
Intervention recognizes that coming into care is
another traumatic event for a child
The research of the brain, toxic stress and
interventions that work is at a critical place to
inform this type of work
A team approach is the only approach that works
for a child/youth