Education Dean Vicki Schwean said the opening of Western’s Child and Youth Development Clinic fills an important gap in mental-health services for children. This week, Western opened the clinic’s doors in the former Bank of Montreal Building, 1163 Richmond St., just outside the Western Gates.
The numbers aren’t pretty, but the future may be brighter for families with children experiencing learning or mental-health issues, thanks to a new initiative led by Western Education.
According to Children’s Mental Health Ontario, as many as 1-in-5 children and youth in the province will experience some form of mental-health problem, with 5-in-6 of those not receiving the treatment they need.
The Child and Youth Development Clinic hopes to fill that gap by welcoming children who are currently without access to the types of services the clinic offers. This week, Western opened the clinic’s doors in the former Bank of Montreal Building, 1163 Richmond St., just outside the Western Gates.
“Every family has a child who, at one time or another, is at risk of learning or mental-health issues,” said Vicki Schwean, Education Dean and the clinic’s founder. “Ensuring the mental health and wellbeing of our next generation is immensely important and we’re thrilled to open the doors to the community at our new clinic.”
The clinic offers services for kids 3-18 years of age with educational, psychological, behavioural and speech and language difficulties – without a doctor’s referral.
Parents, guardians and service providers, such as school officials, mental-health providers and doctors, may refer children and youths to the clinic.
Families may call 519-661-4257 to make an appointment. They will be emailed a package asking them to fill out the child’s or youth’s developmental, medical, social or academic history. This information, along with any reports from previous evaluations and/or school information, will help the clinic plan the most appropriate assessment(s).
Cost is based on a sliding scale based on a parent’s income. No health card is required.
Western graduate students – under the supervision of experts in their field – will provide assessment and treatment options for children with educational, psychological, behavioural and speech and language difficulties either individually or in groups.
The clinic has eight Psychology graduate students and eight Speech and Language students.
As a school and clinical child psychologist, Education professor Colin King has learned a lot working in a variety of hospital, community and private settings with children having various learning, social-emotional and behavioural challenges.
“An interdisciplinary assessment provides families with the most complete profile for their child,” said King, who serves as the clinic’s director.
“It takes a village to raise a child. Once we fully understand a child’s developmental, medical and academic history, we can provide the most informed evidence-based psychological assessment, intervention and treatment.”
