Building bridges to mental health services for children and youth

SickKids and The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre announce historic integration to streamline access to exceptional care in hospital and community

TORONTO – The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre are pleased to announce that they are integrating to enable a more efficient, effective and integrated approach to the provision of mental health services for children and youth that bridges care in hospital and in the community. Effective today, this integration brings the child and youth mental health clinical, research and education services of both organizations under a shared governance and leadership structure.

One in five Ontarians under the age of 17 experiences a mental health disorder and while the number of children and youth seeking help is growing, complexity is also increasing and many do not get the help they need.

SickKids and The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre share a vision to create a comprehensive academic child and youth mental health program that provides a continuum of integrated, inter-disciplinary and evidence-based mental health treatment and support for children, youth and families. The integration will help to streamline access to the children’s mental health system, providing children and families in need of mental health care with a clear point of entry into care, defined care pathways, and seamless transitions within and between hospital and community-based services. Leveraging the strengths of both organizations, the integrated service will provide both hospital and community care, with a primary focus on improving quality of care and outcomes for children and youth with complex needs.

“This is a proud moment in the history of SickKids, as we come together with our colleagues at The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre to celebrate this first major milestone of our shared vision for child and youth mental health services,” says Dr. Michael Apkon, President and CEO of SickKids. “As our comprehensive program evolves over the next few years, we look forward to elevating the quality of care, driving deeper coordination of services in the system, and providing more seamless transitions between hospital and community-based mental health care for our patients and families.”

“The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre community is pleased to join forces with SickKids as we reach this momentous step in our journey,” says Donna Duncan, President and CEO of The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre. “Through this new program, we are creating a platform that will enable us to take a more holistic view of the factors that contribute to complex mental health issues, and to bridge biological, environmental and psychological approaches to care. This is all being done with the goal of improving outcomes for our patients and families.”

The integration will continue to foster collaboration with children, families and other partners across the continuum of care including the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS), the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Toronto Central LHIN and the Lead Agency.

To further support the integration and development of a comprehensive academic child and youth mental health program, today we are also announcing the integration of The Hincks- Dellcrest Foundation and SickKids Foundation. Funds currently held by The Hincks-Dellcrest Foundation will be transferred to SickKids Foundation, and will continue to support the initiatives that donors originally chose to support. The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre’s supporters can continue to invest in child and youth community mental health through SickKids Foundation.

About The Hospital for Sick Children

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is recognized as one of the world’s foremost paediatric health-care institutions and is Canada’s leading centre dedicated to advancing children’s health through the integration of patient care, research and education. Founded in 1875 and affiliated with the University of Toronto, SickKids is one of Canada’s most research-intensive hospitals and has generated discoveries that have helped children globally.  Its mission is to provide the best in complex and specialized family-centred care; pioneer scientific and clinical advancements; share expertise; foster an academic environment that nurtures health-care professionals; and champion an accessible, comprehensive and sustainable child health system. SickKids is proud of its vision for Healthier Children. A Better World. For more information, please visit www.sickkids.ca. Follow us on Twitter (@SickKidsNews) and Instagram (@SickKidsToronto).

About The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre

The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre is one of Canada’s leading children’s mental health treatment, research and teaching centres. Its vision is to bring hope, optimism and possibilities to children and families who experience mental illness. The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre combines prevention, treatment, research and education to help children up to 18 years of age with complex mental health needs and their families. Established in 1988 by the voluntary amalgamation of the C.M. Hincks Treatment Centre and Dellcrest Children’s Centre, The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre is a community affiliate of the University of Toronto and accredited by the Council on Accreditation. For more information, please visit www.hincksdellcrest.org.

Media contact:
Matet Nebres
The Hospital for Sick Children
416-813-6380
matet.nebres@sickkids.ca