Psychiatrist and Researcher Dr. Darren Courtney of the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) gives a training session to Woodview staff.

January 3, 2023

By Wendy Caron, Manager, YODA, Dano-Mountaineer, and Woodview Halton Counselling and Outreach Programs

It may be an unusual topic of discussion in some circles, but in Woodview World, we become animated at talk of treatment for teen depression. Are you kidding me? There are new protocols proving to be effective? A research project spearheaded by CAMH! Say what….they are seeking agencies to partner for the three year project? Where do we sign up??

Elbows out, Woodview answered the call for agency participation, hoping that we would be one of the five agencies chosen to participate in the research, which promised training on evidence based interventions as part of a pathway to successful treatment outcomes for youth. This is the stuff we clinical nerds love.

Why were we so thrilled to be chosen as one of the participants? Because every day we work with these kids who are suffering  with depression…kids who feel like failures, kids who self-injure, kids who attempt suicide, and parents who are scared to go to sleep at night or let their child go out the door, for fear of their safety.

The Caribou2 Project, led by Psychiatrist and Researcher Dr. Darren Courtney of the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, in conjunction with the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression, along with his talented team, have been researching a new approach to treatment of depression in youth, and are lending their expertise and resources throughout Ontario to see if this approach results in improved outcomes.

The benefits for Woodview are fabulous. For youth who choose to be part of Caribou2 (what a cool Canadian name) and are part of the study intervention, they will have access to:

• Assessment
• Psychoeducation
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) or
• Brief Psychosocial Intervention (BPI)
• Caregiver Support
• Medication Options/Psychiatrist support
• Measurement Based Care/Team Review

All of this in a carefully monitored plan delivered with their Woodview clinician. As an agency, Woodview has access to a dedicated multi-disciplinary research team, training in CBT and BPI, and 52 week follow up to monitor outcomes of treatment. These are things that agencies love to have, but our own resources/funding typically cannot support.

In addition, Dr. Courtney has offered consultation and additional training to Woodview…and not just for those clinicians participating in the study. And not just about depression.

In October, Dr. Courtney delivered a training to any interested staff member on a topic of our choice. We asked for training on “the etiology and treatment of hallucinations arising from an anxiety disorder.” For us, this training was anticipated more than Season 5 of Yellowstone.

Woodview is honoured and thrilled to be participating in the Caribou2 project because we know what we learn here will be shared amongst all programs, and with all workers, which means improved treatment for the families we serve.

And along with caffeine, that is what gets us going in the morning.