Orientation Information for Child and Youth Mental Health Services
Benefits of being involved with Woodview include:
- a plan that meets the unique needs of your family and your child;
- being involved in setting goals and working with staff to achieve them;
- learning to recognize and build upon your own strengths;
- gaining a better understanding about your child’s challenges;
- learning new parenting strategies and skills designed to help you be successful in your role as a parent;
- learning that relationships often improve with better communication and problem solving;
- seeing positive changes in your child’s behaviour;
- a reduction in stress within the family; and
- understanding that you will not be working alone. You will work with experienced and dedicated staff who will listen to your concerns. They will help you make connections to your child’s school and/or other community resources during and after your involvement with Woodview.
Things to think about before getting involved with Woodview:
- It is important to take the time to think about what is best for you and your family.
- At Woodview, you will work together with the staff to find strategies to use at home that will work for you and your son or daughter. Learning new skills takes time. Change will not happen overnight. Sometimes things get worse before they get better.
- All of the issues you are concerned about may not be solved during your involvement with Woodview.
When working with Woodview what are my rights and responsibilities?
During the treatment process you have the right to:
- full involvement and participation;
- involve additional resources such as family, service providers, and other supports;
- receive information on your child’s progress;
- confidentiality and privacy;
- be treated with respect and dignity in a safe environment;
- have your cultural and religious beliefs respected and your needs met;
- review a program description for the service you will be involved with and a discussion of risks and benefits of that program;
- receive a copy of our Service Principles and our Privacy Statement;
- a formal complaint process. If you are not satisfied with the services provided, you can speak with a Woodview staff and/or the Manager or the Coordinator of the program. If you are not satisfied with their response, you can have your concern reviewed by the Director of the Program, Executive Director and/or Board of Directors.
During the treatment process you have the responsibility to:
- be involved by attending meetings and participating actively;
- let staff know how you think things are going and ask for changes if necessary;
- update staff about changes in your family’s situation including changes in medications;
- respect the privacy of others if you are in a group setting, or if you hear information about others; and
- treat others with respect.
At Woodview, what does confidentiality mean and how is it preserved?
Information shared by children/youth and families is private. To provide the best service for you and your family, it may sometimes be helpful for Woodview staff to share information. Information may be shared among ourselves and/or with our professional consultants. Information is not shared with anyone else, unless you give written permission to do so.
Are there times at Woodview when information is shared without my written permission?
Information will be shared
without written permission if:
- any Woodview staff has concerns that a child/youth under the age of 18 has been a victim of, or is at risk of abuse and/or neglect. In these cases, the staff is legally obligated to contact the Children’s Aid Society. The Children’s Aid Society will determine when and who will be notified;
- any Woodview staff has concerns that someone is at risk for suicide or seriously threatens the safety of others. In these cases, an appropriate person or authorities must be advised. These may include police, family doctor, emergency services, and/or parents/guardians;
- Woodview files are subpoenaed by a court of law, they must be released to the court;
- the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services or Ministry of Health wants to review a file. They have the legal right to review any file from a program they fund; and
- a reviewer from The Canadian Centre for Accreditation wishes to review files for accreditation purposes.
How does Woodview measure progress?
What happens when my involvement at Woodview ends?
Woodview regularly reviews and evaluates program effectiveness.
Evaluation tools are used to assess strengths and needs, measure program effectiveness, client satisfaction, and the progress of each person receiving service.
These tools also:
- provide accountability to our funders, to ensure our programs continue to be available; and
- help us identify gaps in services and identify other needs in the community that we could be meeting.
Non-identifying information is sent to the Ministry of Health and/or the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, and Children’s Mental Health Lead Agencies in Halton and Hamilton. The information provided is used for research and planning purposes, as well as, for improving service delivery.
When your involvement ends, you might worry you cannot manage without the Woodview team.
This is why we will work with you to make sure your transition is smooth. We will:
- create a plan that addresses outstanding issues and identifies additional resource supports for the future; and
- involve key people and resources who can help you to carry out the plan and provide ongoing support. This may include family members, school personnel, and other community services.
