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April 1, 2003 marked the five year anniversary of the amalgamation of C.M. Hincks Treatment Centre and The Dellcrest Children's Centre, which formed The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre. Building on the founding organizations' long history of exemplary community-based children's mental health service, The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre continued to fulfill its mandate to provide optimal services in children's mental health by delivering a vast array of service programs as well as academic training and research.
At the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, our mission is to improve the mental health of infants, children, youth and their families. We have, throughout our history, endeavoured to keep a creative edge in responding to increased demands for those we serve.
Despite the many serious challenges we have faced over the last number of years,
the past year was one that presented some good opportunities, and the Centre can be justifiably proud of the many accomplishments achieved this past year.
This year, Children's Mental Health Ontario (a Provincial Association comprised of Children's Mental Health Centres), indicated to the government that the incidence of mental health problems in children is reaching epidemic proportions. In their report, they highlighted a number of facts that are negatively impacting children and youth:
- According to various credible organizations, including the Ontario Child & Health Study, 1 in 5 children and youth in Ontario have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Yet, Ontario treats fewer than a quarter of these children;
- Canada's youth suicide rate has increased 400% in the last 30 years;
- In the last 10 years, Stats Canada figures show an increase of 121% in youth violence;
- According to Ontario's own Office of Child and Family Service Advocacy, 80% of young offenders have mental health needs.
Since 1993, the government has not increased its core funding for children's mental health and in fact, funds for core services have been cut. We have been in a decade where cuts in services occurred while the need for more services has continued to grow.
But I am pleased to report that change, challenge, and opportunities continue to be central to the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre. We have embraced these themes. In spite of tough times, and in the midst of such demands, we have had many areas of success. To that end, I am pleased to report the following accomplishments over the past year.
- In October, 2002, our Sheppard site was chosen as a location for the Early Years Centre, based on the recommendation of the Steering Committee for the York Centre riding. With the incorporation of this program, our Sheppard site will become a hub of activity for children and families.
- A second new prevention project is the Families First Centre project which provides a family-friendly model of specialized prevention and early intervention services for infants, children, parents and community caregivers. The project will provide an on-site location at the Sheppard site and, contingent on funding, will support the Early Years Centres.
- New funding from the Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services, the Birth to Six Mental Health Services helps treat children with mental health difficulties related to attachment, social emotional functioning or functioning in the home, day care, and/or school. Services by an infant specialist, an early childhood educator, a social worker and an expressive arts therapist are provided at our Sheppard site.
- The Centre is developing a closer collaborative relationship with the University of Toronto, Faculty of Social Work to develop a specialization in children's services in the M.S.W. program.
- We have continued work on various projects, including Adventure Therapy Project, Community Group Therapy Program, Distance Education, English Club and Learning Through Play Research Project.
These are just a few of the many accomplishments. Over the next year, the Centre will be looking at the services we provide and which services fit best with our strategic directions. While some things may change, our mission continues to be highly relevant.
The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre is dedicated to promoting optimal mental health in infants, children, youth and their families, and to contributing to the achievement of healthy communities.
Our broad range of services includes prevention, early intervention, out-patient services, day treatment, residential treatment and mandated services. These services are enriched by our activities in research, program evaluation, the education and training of mental health professionals and the use of volunteers.
Our treatment philosophy includes the following central beliefs and values:
- All persons have inherent worth and dignity.
- Mental health problems are common, and seeking help to prevent or overcome them is a sign of health and strength.
- No infant, child, or youth exists in isolation; therefore, to prevent or overcome mental health problems, services need to work and collaborate with relevant family, school and community systems.
- Each infant, child, youth, and family is different; therefore knowledge of and respect for their unique strengths, resources, needs, and culture is essential to the selection, design, and helpfulness of services.
Primary Prevention
The goal of primary prevention services is to prevent problems from occurring. These services are designed to help increase knowledge, skills, and a sense of community membership in children and parents. They also are designed to enhance existing family strengths and competence, while reducing stress in the family's environment. Prevention services emphasize the importance of balanced attention to the physical, emotional, and social needs of infants and children. Services include:
- Parent Education Programs
- Parent Support Groups
- Community Development Activities
- Mobile Resource Library
- Social Problem Solving Program
Early Intervention
Early Intervention services are designed to help infants and children who are experiencing early signs of emotional and social difficulties. Services are designed to prevent the difficulties from increasing in frequency and intensity. Some of these services are offered to children within the school system. We work closely with parents, community caregivers, teachers, and other supporting agencies in the delivery of these services, which include:
- Home Visiting
- Social Skills Development Programs
- Child-Focussed Consultation
- In-School Support Program
- Adolescent Outreach Service
Outpatient Services
Outpatient services help infants, children and youth are experiencing various levels, combinations, and types of emotional, social, and behavioural difficulties. Services include:
- Intake and Assessment
- Single Session Consultation
- Family Therapy
- Infant-Parent Program
- Group Therapy
- Individual Psychotherapy
- Play Therapy
- Art Therapy
- Intensive Behavioural Class Program
- Expelled Students Project
Day Treatment
Day treatment offers a therapeutic environment to children and youth, ages 5 to 17, who are experiencing significant and chronic mental health problems that affect their ability to function in a regular community school setting and who require more intensive treatment than can be provided on an outpatient basis. Interventions include a range of treatment, educational, and consultation services to the children and youth, their families, and educational professionals.
Services include:
- Day Treatment Program - Sheppard Avenue West
- Day Treatment Program - Jarvis Street
- Transitional Class
Residential Services
Residential treatment offers a safe and therapeutic setting for children and youth whose difficulties are serious enough to affect their ability to manage at home, at school, and in the community. Three residences provide these services:
- Children's Residence - Weston Road
- City Residential Unit - Jarvis Street
- The Farm - Collingwood
These services are for youth who are in conflict with the law, who have been sentenced to an open-custody facility, and who may have significant mental health needs. Services include two open-custody residences supported by two day programs for Phase II youth (aged 16 to 17 at time of offense), a total of four beds for Phase I youth (aged 12 to 15) in two of our residential treatment homes, and an assessment and consultation service to Phase II open-custody facilities. In addition to a structured, therapeutic residential setting, services to youth, as needed, include assessment, individual therapy, group therapy, educational programs, and job skills training.
As a Centre partially affiliated with the University of Toronto, Hincks-Dellcrest has a long tradition of professional training in child and youth work, nursing, psychiatry, psychology, social work, and early childhood education. Our commitment as a teaching centre is to help the community, by ensuring that future clinicians are well equipped to deal with the present and future challenges of service delivery.
The Research staffs' studies have included language disorders, adolescent depression, infant development and intervention, and school-based services. To help build the knowledge base for the field of children's mental health, findings are frequently published and presented at conferences.
The evaluation team regularly evaluates our programs so that we can continue to improve our services to infants, children, youth, and their families, and to ensure that our services are consistent with the most up-to-date knowledge and treatment approaches.
Volunteers play a key role at The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre and actively participate in the delivery of many of our prevention, early intervention and treatment programs.
Funding for our programs comes from many sources: The Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor-General and Correctional Services, the United Way, foundations, the business community and individuals. Donations allow us to develop new and innovative programs to meet changing and challenging needs of infants, children, youth and their families in our communities.
With the exception of The Farm, a rural treatment residence located near Collingwood, the services of the Centre are delivered in various locations throughout the City of Toronto.
To request enrollment in one of our Treatment Services, a parent, youth, or referring professional may call the Intake Coordinator at either our Sheppard or Jarvis location (see below). Outpatient Services are available at our Jarvis site to residents of the former City of Toronto. Outpatient Services are available at our Sheppard site to residents of the former City of North York. Residential Treatment and Day Treatment are available to residents living anywhere in the amalgamated City of Toronto.
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Jarvis Site
440 Jarvis Street
Toronto, Ontario
M4Y 2H4
Tel: (416) 924-1164
Fax: (416) 924-8208
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Sheppard Site
1645 Sheppard Ave. W.
North York, Ontario
M3M 2X4
Tel: (416) 633-0515
Fax: (416) 633-7141
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Website: www.hincksdellcrest.org
e-mail: info@hincksdellcrest.org
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If you are interested in further information about our Prevention, Early Intervention, or Mandated Services, please call one of the numbers on the back of this pamphlet and you will be directed to the appropriate person(s).
The Hincks-Dellcrest Institute
A sister organization of the Centre, The Hincks-Dellcrest Institute, established in 1986, is dedicated to helping develop the body of knowledge in the field of child, youth, and family mental health, and provides advanced, post-specialty training for children's mental health professionals. As a resource to the broader community, the Institute has established both a national and international sphere of influence.
The Hincks-Dellcrest Foundation
The Foundation is the active fund development arm of the Centre. The Foundation focuses on fund raising for innovative service projects, research, and education.
The Foundation is a separate corporation with its own Board of Directors, and is a Registered Charitable Organization (No. 89449-2487-RR0001).
During 2002/03, the Centre received total funds in the amount of $15,023,869, from the following sources:
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Government Funding | $12,440,334 | 82.8% |
| United Way | 205,622 | 1.4 |
| Grants and Donations | 1,430,327 | 9.5 |
| Recoveries/Other | 822,016 | 5.5 |
| Interest | 125,570 | 0.8 |
Expenditures totalled $14,984,793 for the 2002/03 fiscal year and were allocated as follows:
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Residential Services | $3,563,047 | 23.8% |
| Non-Residential Services | 4,221,389 | 28.2 |
| Community Support Programs | 1,314,694 | 8.8 |
| Open Custody Services | 1,721,766 | 11.5 |
| Special Projects | 2,513,012 | 16.8 |
| Fundraising | 105,176 | 0.7 |
| Administration | 1,275,278 | 8.5 |
| Amortization | 263,798 | 1.8 |
| Renovation, Building and Other | 6,633 | 0.0 |
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