Description:

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in mental health issues among children and youth, particularly those with neurodiversity, eating disorders, and substance misuse. BC Children’s Hospital has taken a proactive approach to tackle this crisis by implementing innovative models of care. In this interdisciplinary session, our speakers will present their findings from the Canadian Personal Impacts of COVID-19 study, showcase longitudinal trajectories of mental health needs between 2020-2023, and discuss the BCCH Family Input Tool, an initiative aimed at facilitating measurement-based care and research across mental health programs. The session will also focus on two significant initiatives from BCCH, the Eating Disorders Complex Clinical Care Pathway, and the Home-Based Hospital (HBH) Mental Health Service. The third speaker will report on the Substance Use Response and Facilitation (SURF) Program, which provides a client-centered, integrated, trauma and violence-informed, and harm reduction approach to children and youth with substance use concerns and/or concurrent disorders. Join us to gain invaluable insights into promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in the provision of mental healthcare for children and youth.