As she put down the phone, Miranda knew that she could not ignore the situation any longer. Something had to be done.

The caller was Mrs. Axsmith, her 13-year-old son Jeffrey's principal. Jeffrey, it seemed, had skipped school again.

Over the past year, truancy and minor acts of delinquency had become regular occurrences in Jeffrey's life. So had rebellion and insolence. Miranda, a single working mother, had watched in confusion and despair as the boy she had raised developed into a brooding and sometimes brutish adolescent.

With the knowledge that Jeffrey needed help and a resolve to make life better for her family, Miranda placed a call to her local Children's Mental Health Center (CMHC).
A network of Children's Mental Health Centers exists throughout Ontario.

Community-based, CMHCs are funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services of the Province of Ontario and operate under the Child and Family Services Act.

The purpose of CMHCs is to provide services aimed at strengthening or maintaining positive family and community living experiences for children and adolescents and their families having societal, developmental, emotional or behavioral difficulties. As an organization, CMHC believes that all children have the right to the opportunity to develop to their full potential.

The Centers accept referrals from parents, adolescents, physicians, educators and community agencies.

CMHC staff consists of multidisciplinary teams made up of psychologists, child psychiatrists, social workers and mental health consultants.

Working in voluntary partnership with individual children, families and educators, CMHC workers provide services, which includes assessment as well as individual, family, and educator counseling.

Jane and Ryan had first sought the assistance of their local Children's Mental Health Center (CMHC) when their daughter Sheila was diagnosed with autism at the age of three.

Staff at CMHC had provided the couple with information on autism as well as much needed emotional support. On a practical level, Center workers had apprised Jane and Ryan of the various treatment methods, which might be used to promote desirable skills and behaviors and thus improve Sheila's ability to live and participate in her community.

Today, CMHC staff members continue to be a source of support for Jane, Ryan and Sheila who is now nine and enrolled in a local elementary school. Thanks to the information provided by Center workers, Sheila's classmates have learned to understand and accept the difficulties the youngster has communicating and making friends. At the same time, CMHC has helped Sheila's teachers to develop learning programs geared to the girl's needs.

Helping autistic children and their families is but one of the many services Ontario's Children's Mental Health Centers provide. The Centers additionally offer an array of diverse programs designed to meet the needs of children and adolescents and their families who are having societal, developmental, emotional or behavioral difficulties.

These include assessment and counseling for individual children as well as families. For instance, the CMHC Home Care Program provides parents with skills and knowledge about child behavior and management.

Center workers also work with educators. Through the School Consultation Program, for example, CMHC provides advice and support to teachers working with children with mental or behavioral problems.

Other programs offered by CMHC include residential treatment programs for adolescents and young offender community support services.

All CMHC programs share a common goal: To relieve distress and hasten the recovery of children and families in need.

© Algoma Family Services