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Child Psychiatry Inpatient Unit
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What we do

Children who are referred to the program often have complex psychiatric problems, and all community mental health resources have been exhausted without any significant improvement. Children with severe intellectual handicaps or who are severely autistic are not accepted into the program. There currently is a waiting list.
 
Treatment program
 
The average length of stay on the unit is 29 days. During this time, the child receives a comprehensive assessment that includes:
  • a psychiatric assessment and medication review
  • psychology testing
  • occupational therapy assessment
  • speech and language testing
  • academic, behavioural and family assessments
  • a medical workup with appropriate medical investigation
Based on the ongoing assessment, interventions may include intensive behavioural teaching with the child and family, including anxiety and anger management, social skills teaching, cognitive behavioural therapy, and sensory and self-regulation strategies.
 
Interventions may also involve brief family therapy, medication management, school planning, diagnostic-specific interventions (e.g. autism spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome disorder strategies), and treatment planning with community resources.
 
Interventions are focused on assessing strategies that will be most effective for the child’s home environment and for supporting the family and community resources required to implement these strategies with the child.
 
While on the unit, individual counseling is provided for each child and there are regular group meetings to help children learn constructive coping and social skills. Children attend a school program with a special education teacher and assistant for about three hours each day.
 
Staff meet with the parents and/or guardians at least once a week to talk about test results and their child’s response to the program. Management strategies are also discussed and implemented during weekends at home. In addition, the unit offers a Family Education Program.
 
Based on their assessment, the team will offer detailed recommendations for:
  • managing the child’s behaviour and emotional problems
  • parenting strategies
  • addressing any other family stresses or difficulties
Discharge planning

With the parents’ permission, professionals who are (or will be) involved with the child are invited to a discharge planning conference. This can be conducted by telephone for those living at a distance.
During the conference, the team discusses findings and recommendations with professionals in the child’s local community. These recommendations may include:
  • individual therapy
  • play therapy
  • cognitive behavioural therapy or family therapy
  • medication therapy
  • increased school resources
  • placement in residential treatment
The most frequently used resources on discharge are local child and youth mental health programs, private psychiatrists/therapists, and counseling agencies. Mental health centres are listed in the back of the telephone book under British Columbia Ministry Programs (blue section).