Children, youth and/or their caregivers will be contacted directly by telephone with the details of any upcoming appointment using the contact information provided by the primary care provider on the referral form. Please ensure that all contact information is up-to-date. If attendance cannot be confirmed, the appointment may be cancelled. In general, initial consultations may take up to two hours, depending on the nature of the concerns. Follow-up appointments are typically scheduled in half-hour increments.

There is a Parent/Caregiver Questionnaire that is recommended to complete in advance of the first appointment to provide additional information regarding the child or youth.

The Family, Child and Youth Mental Health Program strives to provide family-focused services, and family members and/or supporting persons are typically welcome to attend appointments. However, there may be times where it is appropriate to limit the persons in attendance, and discretion is encouraged when deciding which persons may attend to support the child or youth. If there are custody agreements in place, it is trusted that all parties entitled to the information will be provided details of the appointment by the family’s contact person.

There are also instances where the physician may request to speak with older children and youths independently. In all cases, if children are deemed capable, they have the right to consent to which persons attend the appointment and who is entitled to receive information regarding the consultation. Limitations may apply, including if there are concerns about the child or youth’s safety or any information obtained that indicates a danger to others.

Virtual appointments may be offered via Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) or telephone. If accessing virtual services, please ensure a suitable device is available to attend the appointment. Further, please ensure a private location is available to the child, youth and/or caregiver to attend the appointment, as confidential and sensitive information may be shared. Family, Child and Youth Mental Health Program staff reserve the right to end appointments if the virtual appointment setting is not adequate.

Support regarding use of OTN is available through Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care by contacting the Telemedicine Support personnel at 705-549-3181, ext. 2002, or telemedicine@waypointcentre.ca. Alternatively, please review this Information Brochure that outlines helpful strategies for use of OTN.

eConsult Services are now available for Primary Care Providers (PCPs) through the Ontario eConsult Program and OTN Hub.

eConsults are intended for specific questions about patient care (e.g. medication optimization) and allow for a more timely and convenient means of consulting with our Outpatient Specialists for non-emergent issues. You can now send questions about your patients, their medical history and their test results for review through a secure online platform, enabling you to expedite access to specialist advice.

eConsults will be responded to within seven business days. You can bill K738 when you submit the eConsult ($16.00). If you already have access to the Ontario eConsult service, please consider using it for your patients. If you would like to set up access to eConsult, you can contact eConsultCOE@toh.ca for assistance.

You can send an eConsult by selecting the Waypoint Outpatient Psychiatry group option once you initiate an eConsult and search the group by name. For more information on how to submit an eConsult this way, visit eConsult Ontario.