Together, Kinark Child and Family Services and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences have expanded Outpatient Adolescent Eating Disorder Services in the community and are now accepting referrals.
July 31, 2023 (Whitby, ON) – Kinark Child and Family Services (Kinark) and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) are pleased to announce that they are working collaboratively to expand community-based Outpatient Adolescent Eating Disorder Services in order to meet the needs of East Region clients and families, bridge the step-down care gap from hospital to community, and avoid hospitalization for those clients requiring less intensive interventions.
Teams from Kinark and Ontario Shores will work together to provide stepped-care model of outpatient support for adolescents with eating disorders, meeting the needs of each youth receiving services. As clients move from in-hospital treatment at Ontario Shores, Kinark will work with the adolescents and their families to provide outpatient support in the community. This partnership will ensure that the care stays consistent and moves patients smoothly from more-intensive to less-intensive levels of service.
In the community, Kinark will support adolescents through individual sessions and family sessions that can include parents, caregivers, and siblings. The program will also provide community knowledge translation and capacity building through a shared care model.
“We are proud to work collaboratively with Ontario Shores to expand services across Eastern Regions of Ontario. This program will help fill gaps in the sector and provide community support with a goal of avoiding admission to hospital or a residential eating disorder program.”
Cathy Paul, President and CEO at Kinark Child and Family Services
“We are excited to partner with Kinark to expand services for youth struggling with an eating disorder in our communities. Through this partnership, adolescents and their families are now able to access the level of care they need, when they need it, to support their ongoing recovery.”
Karim Mamdani, President and CEO at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
Adolescents with disordered eating in the community still need support. Primary health care practitioners wishing to make a referral for youth aged 12-17 may do so by downloading the referral form and faxing it to Kinark’s Central Intake at 905-579-4449. Primary health care practitioners must complete a referral form to the program and be prepared to medically follow the youth throughout their duration in the program.
For more information about the program or partnership, please contact Kinark’s Central Intake at 1-888-454-6275.
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About Kinark Child and Family Services
Kinark Child and Family Services (Kinark) is a leading provider of services and supports for children and youth with complex needs and their families. Serving more than 9,650 children, youth, and families throughout Ontario annually. Our primary areas of service are in the areas of Child and Youth Mental Health, Autism, and Forensic Mental Health. For more information, visit: kinark.on.ca.
About Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) is a public teaching hospital providing a range of specialized assessment and treatment services to those living with complex and serious mental illness. Exemplary patient care is delivered through safe and evidence-based approaches where successful outcomes are achieved using best clinical practices and the latest advances in research. Patients benefit from a recovery-oriented environment of care built on compassion, inspiration and hope. For more information, visit: www.ontarioshores.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Erin Johnston
Communications Manager
Kinark Child and Family Services
437-331-3499
erin.johnston@kinark.on.ca
Julie Van Hartingsveldt
External Relations Specialist
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
905-430-4055 ext. 6574
289-387-1813
vanhartingsveldtj@ontarioshores.ca