About General Clinical Services

If your child or youth up to age 18 has significant complex emotional or behavioural needs, Child and Parent Research Institute (CPRI) may be able to provide support through their General Clinical Services. The services your child or youth gets depends on their unique needs. General clinical services could include:

  • consultation for community professionals seeking clarity around a diagnosis
  • consultation for community professionals with questions about complex medication management for a client they are treating
  • assessment of a child or youth’s serious and complex emotional or behavioural concerns that may be causing problems at home, school, or in the community

Eligibility

CPRI services are an option for children and youth up to age 18 who experience complex and often co-occurring combinations of developmental and mental health challenges. They may have a dual diagnosis (meaning they have been identified by a practitioner to experience both developmental and mental health challenges), have complex or multiple diagnoses, or had numerous trials of psychotropic medications without the intended benefit. They may be at significant risk of or have already experienced displacement from home, school and/or community.

Generally, local services available to support a child/youth in their home community are accessed first before a referral to CPRI is considered. This may include a paediatrician, psychiatrist, or a child and youth mental health/developmental service provider.

How to access services

You can submit an outpatient referral form for this service if you are:

  • the child or youth’s parent
  • the child or youth in need of service
  • a member of the child or youth’s care team (such as doctor, community agency, school, etc.) with the consent of the child or youth, parent/guardian or substitute decision maker

In some communities, outpatient referrals are processed through your local Single Point Access Mechanism.

All referral forms must be signed by the child or youth’s doctor.

Learn more about the referral process and access referral forms.

Where appointments are held

After you are referred to CPRI, our first step is to do an assessment.

We will:

  1. consult with your community supports to answer questions and make a treatment plan
  2. assign you a case management coordinator who will coordinate treatment, answer your questions and connect you with community support
  3. book an assessment for a doctor to meet with you and your child to assess their needs and make suggestions for treatment

After the assessment, a clinician from our team may offer treatment to your child, we may refer your child to a different program at CPRI or you may continue with services in your community.

Assessments may be completed at CPRI, virtually, and/or at the child’s or youth’s home or school. The best place for appointments is decided based on your child’s, youth’s and family's needs and circumstances.

At the end of service, we will work with community partners to transition your child or youth back to services available in the community where they live.